Potential climate benefits of using bamboo cutlery as a substitute for plastic in the food delivery service

Switching to bamboo cutlery in food delivery could reduce plastic pollution and associated carbon emissions in the life cycles. Current bamboo cutlery studies focus on comparing either disposable or reusable types with plastics but lack systematic comparisons of both types against plastics. This study fills that gap by using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to analyze and compare the carbon emissions of disposable and reusable bamboo cutlery versus plastic cutlery in food delivery scenarios. Under a single-use scenario, both disposable and some reusable bamboo cutlery items exhibited lower global warming potential (GWP) than plastic cutlery. Notably, reusable bamboo knives and forks reached break-even points with their plastic counterparts after only two uses. Sensitivity analysis showed that the GWP of disposable bamboo cutlery was most sensitive to energy consumption during processing (30.2%), while for reusable bamboo cutlery, the use phase had the greatest impact (42.9%). The emission reduction pathway scenario demonstrated that optimization of electricity supply during processing had a relatively limited effect due to constraints in China’s renewable energy share. In the context of food delivery, both disposable and reusable bamboo cutlery show strong potential as substitutes for plastic. For reusable products, ensuring sufficient frequency of use and improving recovery rates are key to maximizing environmental benefits. This study provides scientific evidence and data support for policymakers to enhance the “Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic” strategy and promote sustainable development in the food delivery industry. • Under single-use conditions, disposable bamboo cutlery exhibits a lower GWP than plastic. • After just two uses, reusable bamboo knives and forks show lower GWP than PS knives and PP forks. • Optimizing energy consumption in both production and washing processes is key to reducing emissions. • In food delivery scenarios, bamboo cutlery substitution strategies demonstrate strong emission reduction performance. • For reusable bamboo cutlery in food delivery, ensuring sufficient usage frequency and higher recovery rates is essential.