An Overview Of Our Solution
In September 2017, the Green Union of Chongqing sued the main companies of the three well-known takeout platforms Baidu Waimai, Ele.me, and Meituan which are familiar to the public, for the reason of resources and environmental pollution. The Green Union of Chongqing considered that there are defects in the operation mode on the takeout ordering platforms, and the option of using disposable tableware such as disposable wooden chopsticks is not provided to the users, resulting in huge waste of resources and great ecological damage. It’s the first time in China, that delivery platforms been sued for environmental pollution.
- Population Impacted: 20,000,000
- Continent: Asia
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Context Analysis
According to the data released by these three food delivery platforms, their national daily orders are around 20 million. In accordance with the calculation of 0.06 square meters per plastic bag for each single take-out, the daily use of plastic bags can cover 420,000 square meters, which is equivalent to approximately 59 football fields and covers a West Lake in approximately 15 days. However, the previous three platforms were the default for the use of disposable tableware, and also had a small fee for plastic packaging, which did not meet the requirements of the “plastic limit order” that had been issued before. The daily use of chopsticks on the Meituan group’s takeout platform is as high as 19.5 million pairs, including a large amount of mandatory delivery chopsticks.
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Describe the technical solution you wanted the target audience to adopt
One of the major solution is filing Public Interest litigation according to the revised environmental protection law to raise public and enterprises’ awareness as well as amending their practices, and to raise consumers’ awareness. Through a direct, forceful and rigorous action by law, companies will change their behavior immediately for protecting their reputations and benefits. In this way, public rights associated with ecosystems and the environment will be protected.
Type of intervention
Describe your behavioral intervention
Moreover, materials sustainability is quickly coming to the forefront of business decision making and consumers’ decision making. For example, the top takeout delivery apps who play a large role in creating plastics sustainability, are starting to see materials sustainability as an important facilitator of the food delivery industry. Consequently, they work with the public and look for feedback from the public on how to encourage restaurants to operate more sustainably through their app, which is something that no company had to do a few years ago. Also, we potentially promote the proactive environmental design in the plastics economy, which leads to sustainable practices to the environment in the long run.
As needed, please explain the type of intervention in more detail
Litigation is an efficient way to change people's consumption habits and enhance their awareness of environmental protection. As the world is changing fast and every single environmental issue are urgent and needs to be solved quickly. Litigation is an approach to quickly bring the problems to the light, thus pushing them, including every entity like factories, companies, consumers and so forth to protect environment jointly. In our major case against food delivery platforms, we draw the instant attention and raise consumers’ awareness nationwide. In conclusion, litigation is feasible and is in the process of being implemented.
Describe your implementation
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Enabling conditions:
1. People’s awareness of environmental protection is rising.
2. Since January 1, 2015, the implementation of the new environmental protection law helps us have legal measures to protect the environment.
3. Environmental strategies are proposed by the government, promoting ecological civilization.
Success factors:
1. Governments’ support of the case.
2. Mass media attention and support.
3. Public’s awareness of environmental protection.
Obstacles:
In this case, it is difficult to inspect and identify the enormous damage of takeout food deliveries. At present, we have contacted a number of testing agencies to assist us and provide effective evidence for the case.
External connections
In the process of initiating the lawsuit, some EPIL legal experts, companies, and supports from government, and consumers participated in the process of the initiation of this lawsuit.
Who adopted the desired behaviors and to what degree?
The court has accepted the case. It is an improvement that the court has been able to accept, and it is hoped that this litigation will receive social attention and support.
The takeout companies have stated that they have recognized the risk of pollution and understood that they are responsible for controlling it.
How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?
By providing the alternative for people to choose no-chopstick option when ordering food from delivery apps, will help to reduce pollution, push governments to amend the standard and restrictions of the public who consume great amount of plastic and wooden chopsticks. As China is one of the major consumer powers of plastic bags and chopsticks will exert an unimaginable negative impact on the international environment conservation. Therefore, the reduction of the usage of wooden chopsticks and plastic production will protect numerous birds’ habitats and prevent sea animals from starving after eating indigestible residue. This litigation will save uncountable trees and protect the biodiversity. Furthermore, when the trees are saved, the earth will be saved as well by being provided with more oxygen and less carbon.
What were some of the resulting co-benefits?
This is the first time domestically in China takeout platforms have been sued for environmental pollution. Therefore, this case has a landmark significance. It not only helps the platforms recognize their own environmental responsibility, but also helps to awaken the public's sense of responsibility in participating in take-over pollution control. It also reminds relevant departments and other environmental groups say no to selling pollution.
Sustainability
The litigation case promotes the use of recyclable tableware, saving a variety of resources and helps industries to realize their relationship with the environment and employ existing resources optimally in an innovative way so that a responsible and beneficial balance can be achieved over the longer term.
Return on investment
The total investment in the entire litigation process is approximately $100,000。
This impact on the public and its impact on future biodiversity and environmental protection is far beyond the value of money.
How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?
In May 2018, three other takeout platforms were sued in Shanghai, China.
Seeking environmental protection justice via filing environmental public interest litigation (EPIL) is an important way for NGOs. For example, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation(CBCGDF) has filed more than 50% EPIL cases by far in China successfully. Among the impressive winning cases have brought deep social influence on a national level, are the Henan Ancient Jujube Trees case, the “Toxic Plastic Running Tracks” case and the "Tengger Desert Pollution" case, etc.
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