To understand the current environmental crisis, we must first understand the nature of contemporary civilization, which is the foundation of ethics. Plastic pollution resulting from food delivery is a pressing global environmental problem. However, when food delivery platforms default to providing consumers with disposable tableware items without allowing them to choose otherwise, it exacerbates the issue further.

Pic Source: CBCGDF

In 2016, while ordering food delivery to save time and improve work efficiency, Dr. Zhou Jinfeng and his colleagues requested that the food delivery platforms not to provide them with disposable tableware. However, their request was denied. Dr. Zhou and his team then wrote letters to the CEOs of food delivery platforms, suggesting that they add an option to their software for “no disposable tableware”. Despite their efforts, the response remained the same.

This compelled Dr. Zhou and his team to sue China’s six largest food delivery platforms, including Meituan and Eleme, as well as KFC and McDonald’s. However, the court initially refused to accept the cases. After consultations with experts and scholars, as well as colleagues from the court, Dr. Zhou’s team argued that we are in a different era of environment and civilization now. In today’s ecological civilization era, the Environmental Protection Law clearly stipulates that “no individual or organization is allowed to damage the environment or waste resources”. They proposed that disposable tableware should be given to those who actually need them, not as the default option, as this would cause a lot of waste.

Through their initiatives, seminars, and promotion, the court eventually accepted the cases. The food delivery companies that had refused to provide the “no disposable tableware” option to customers immediately updated their apps and websites within 24 hours after the court accepted the environmental public interest litigations. They added the option for consumers to choose not to receive disposable tableware.

Today, consumers on food delivery platforms have the option to choose “I do not want disposable tableware” thanks to the environmental public interest litigation. This option embodies a new moral, new concept, and new ethical change that respects consumers’ green consumption rights. Even if only 10% of consumers choose “no disposable tableware”, it will still have a significant impact on environmental protection.

This case illustrates that moral judgments are time-bound and can evolve. The idea that “food delivery should not proactively provide disposable tableware” was not well understood in 2017, but it is now widely accepted and recognized by the majority of people as a mainstream idea. Moreover, it has gone from “ethics” to “law”. Some cities in China have established regulations that explicitly state that food delivery services should not proactively provide disposable tableware.

This case demonstrates the transformation of civilization and the need for new ethical approaches to address environmental governance issues.

Reporter: Wendy

Editor: Victoria

Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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