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Meal Kits Have A Smaller Carbon Footprint Than Grocery Shopping, Study Says

While it may seem that heaps of plastic from meal kit delivery services make them less environmentally friendly than traditional grocery shopping, a new study suggests that's not necessarily true.
While it may seem that heaps of plastic from meal kit delivery services like Blue Apron make them less environmentally friendly than traditional grocery shopping, a new study says the kits actually produce less food waste.

Meal kit delivery services like Blue Apron or HelloFresh promise gourmet meals without the hassle of shopping for ingredients. But the environmentally conscious consumer may feel guilty about seeing all the plastic and cardboard it takes to bring that Pork and Veggie Bibimbap to their doorstep.

That guilt may be misplaced, according to a new study. The researchers argue that, pound for pound, meal kit delivery services have a smaller carbon footprint than equivalent meals bought from a grocery store and prepared at home.

The study, published Monday in the scientific journal , examines the whole life cycle — from farm to garbage can — of meal kits and their grocery store equivalents, and finds that, on average, store

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