Meal Delivery With Sustainable Packaging: What's Recyclable and What Isn't
Which meal delivery services have sustainable packaging? No meal delivery service is packaging-free, because fresh food has to stay cold in transit. The most useful way to compare services is by what you can recycle where you live. Blue Apron ships meals in a cardboard box, and its boxes, inserts, paper cartons and recipe cards are curbside recyclable, while gel pack film and plastic bags have store drop-off options and a few items, such as plastic metallic bubble insulation and spice sachets, go in the trash.
Dinner's handled. The box shouldn't be a mystery. Here's how to read the fine print on any meal delivery service, ours included.
Which Meal Delivery Services Have Sustainable Packaging?
Every one of them has trade-offs. Keeping chicken and greens cold for a few days takes insulation and ice packs, and those are the hardest pieces to recycle. So skip the green-sounding labels and ask a simpler question: what happens to each piece after dinner?
That answer depends on your town as much as the service. A material that's welcome in one curbside program gets turned away in the next. Check your local rules, and use the checklist below to compare.
How Do You Compare Meal Kit Packaging?
We haven't found a reliable, independent ranking of meal delivery services by packaging, so we'd be wary of any tidy top-five list. Instead, compare the five things that actually end up in your kitchen:
Shipping box and inserts: Cardboard that goes in curbside recycling.
Insulation: Paper or fiber you can put in your regular bin.
Ice packs: Drain-safe contents and a recyclable outer film.
Ingredient bags and sachets: Fewer pieces, clearly labeled.
Disposal instructions: A plain-language guide, easy to find (like this blog post).
Which Meal Kits Have Recyclable Packaging?
Here's how Blue Apron packaging sorts, based on our recycling guide:
Curbside recycling: cardboard boxes, inserts, paper cartons, bands, molded fiber, recipe cards, metal cans, glass jars and bottles (rinse and dry them first), and most rigid plastic cups, trays and lids marked #1 and #5.
Store drop-off: gel pack film, plastic bags and other films marked #2 or #4, at stores that take them.
Trash: plastic metallic bubble insulation, spice blend sachets and lidding film.
Compost: plant-based food scraps, like potato peels, apple cores and scallion ends.
Quick note: recyclable only counts if your local program takes it. Earth911's search tool helps you check.
Are Meal Kit Liners and Ice Packs Recyclable?
It depends on the material. Paper-based liners usually go in curbside paper recycling when they're clean and dry. Foil or plastic bubble liners usually don't, and foam liners generally don't either. Check the label, then check your local rules.
Ice packs are simpler than they look. The gel inside ours is a water-based solution that's safe to pour down the drain:
Let the contents melt completely.
Cut a corner and pour the liquid down the sink.
Keep the water running while it drains, then wash your hands.
Take the empty film to a store drop-off if your area has one.
Are There Compostable or Plastic-Free Meal Kits?
Not in a way that holds up to the fine print. Most services that ship fresh food use plastic somewhere, whether that's in ice pack film, ingredient bags or small sachets [VERIFY]. A paper bag helps, but "recyclable" and "compostable" aren't the same thing, and many municipal compost programs don't accept meat, bones or dairy.
If plastic-free is a must for you, ask any service for a piece-by-piece list before you order. A good answer is specific. A vague one is your answer.
How Do You Cut Down on Meal Kit Packaging Waste?
Break down the box and flatten the cardboard.
Sort by bin: curbside, store drop-off, trash.
Rinse and dry cans and jars so they can be fully reclaimed.
Compost plant scraps, minus produce stickers and rubber bands.
Bookmark your local recycling rules so the next box takes two minutes.
For the full list, see our recycling guide.
Meal Delivery Packaging FAQ
Which meal delivery service has the most sustainable packaging?
There isn't a reliable, independent ranking. Compare services on the shipping box, insulation, ice packs, ingredient bags and how clearly they explain disposal.
Are Blue Apron boxes recyclable?
Yes. Cardboard boxes and inserts are curbside recyclable. Check your local program for its rules.
What do I do with Blue Apron gel packs?
Let the gel melt, cut a corner, pour it down the sink with the water running, and wash your hands. The empty film can go to a store drop-off where accepted.
Is Blue Apron packaging compostable?
Our recycling guide does not list any packaging as compostable. Plant-based food scraps can go in municipal or backyard compost.
Are meal kit liners recyclable?
Paper-based liners often are. Foil, plastic bubble and foam liners usually are not. Blue Apron's plastic metallic bubble insulation goes in the trash.
