Food delivery providers accused of wasteful practices

The tech companies behind food delivery providers Baidu Takeout, ele.me, and Meituan are being taken to court for failing to provide an option to opt out of receiving utensils with a food order, according to Caixin. The plaintiff, Green Volunteer League of Chongqing, filed separate suits against the companies for the environmental damage caused by the additional waste created. Caixin found that Meituan had an option to refuse utensils but it was obscured. ele.me and Baidu’s default setting is to provide utensils even if a user is ordering for home delivery. Meituan and ele.me have since changed their settings. However, Baidu said it was an issue for vendors to address, not the platform. The Beijing Intermediate People’s Court accepted the case on September 1st.