Delivery 3 Companies Reduce 65 Million Disposable Spoons After Changing Selection Option

Baedal Minjok, Yogiyo, Coupang Eats Change Selection Options
Green Korea United Analyzes Disposable Spoon Reduction in June
Rate of Refusing Disposable Spoons Rises to 60-70% Range

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] It has been revealed that the three major food delivery applications reduced disposable spoons by 65 million units within one month after changing the spoon selection option.

The environmental organization Green Alliance announced on the 26th that it analyzed data requested from the three delivery apps?Baedal Minjok, Yogiyo, and Coupang Eats?regarding the rate of opting out of disposable spoons. Green Alliance evaluated that "by allowing consumers to choose disposable spoons only when necessary, the effect of reducing disposable plastics was enhanced."

Earlier, the three delivery apps changed the default setting to 'Do not receive disposable spoons and forks' starting June 1. This allowed customers to request disposable items only if needed, instead of automatically providing them with packaging and delivery orders.

Comparing June data with the same month last year, the rate of opting out of disposable spoons sharply increased. The rate refers to the proportion of selections relative to the number of orders. Baedal Minjok increased from 15.8% to 71.3%, Yogiyo from 13% to 62%, and Coupang Eats from 21% to 76%.

By comparing the food service transaction amount from Statistics Korea and the market shares of the three delivery apps, it is estimated that 65 million disposable spoons were reduced in June alone. Baedal Minjok reduced about 45 million, Yogiyo 1 million, and Coupang Eats 10 million units.

This result is based on applying the minimum order amount (20,000 KRW) to the mobile order amount in the food service transaction data from Statistics Korea, estimating about 93.5 million orders per month, and applying each delivery app’s rate of opting out of disposable spoons. While the number of disposable spoons reduced by opting out in June last year was only 15 million, it is estimated to have decreased by 65 million after the default setting change.

Estimated reduction in disposable spoons calculated by converting mobile order transaction amounts and the rate of opting out of disposable spoons as of June 2021 (Source=Green Korea United)

A Green Alliance official stated, "Baedal Minjok announced that the cumulative number of orders with reduced disposable items reached 100 million since April 2019. This was the result of 18 months of efforts," adding, "The fact that 45 million orders decreased in just one month after the default setting change shows how significant the effect of changing the default setting in delivery apps is."

He continued, "Simply changing one sentence in the delivery app led to a noticeable reduction in disposable spoon usage, which shows how influential delivery apps are," emphasizing, "Delivery app companies must take the lead in solving the problem of delivery waste."