Crackdown call for food delivery garbage

Stricter control of food delivery garbage is called for in a proposal submitted to the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The rapid development of the business had led to a large amount of garbage such as meal boxes, dishware, napkins and bags, according to the proposal from adviser Huang Shaoxing.

Food delivery trash accounts for at least 40 percent of the domestic garbage from office buildings, Huang said.

There was excessive packaging to avoid damage and spills during delivery, and most packaging was nondegradable, putting severe pressure on the environment, according to the proposal.

Huang suggested regulations on the use of disposable nondegradable plastic products and charges for the treatment of food delivery trash to control its amount.

The proposal calls for a ranking system on the environmental awareness of food delivery businesses linked to preferential policies such as subsidies and tax cuts to encourage them to use environmental friendly, degradable and recyclable materials.

A food delivery garbage collection mechanism is also suggested.

Fixed collection spots for food delivery garbage can be established at schools or office buildings where there is a large demand for food delivery, and a deposit system and reward system could be used to promote involvement, the proposal says.