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Blue Apron Files for IPO

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Re: Blue Apron Files for IPO

#11

Post by jonknee »

spike021 wrote: post #7
leftnode wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We canceled after a week precisely for this reason. I couldn't believe how much trash a single shipment generated.

what's a single shipment typically composed of? Curious since I was thinking of trying it. Do you mean like cardboard/plastic packaging? I was thinking materials would come in re-usable container. Not fancy, but even somewhat "cheapy" re-usable material.

From Googling around, lots of plastic bags:

https://www.jennettefulda.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ing...

Re: Blue Apron Files for IPO

#12

Post by bpicolo »

jonknee wrote: post #9
sp332 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I recall when we had it, it was a lot less trash than going to the store and getting everything packaged individually. And I'm sure the shipping is less polluting than having all the customers drive around too.

> From what I recall when we had it, it was a lot less trash than going to the store and getting everything packaged individually. But all the stuff Blue Apron sends you is individually packaged (down to stuff like a single green onion in a bag)...

For various small bits they send a single brown paper bag (per meal).

Re: Blue Apron Files for IPO

#13

Post by bpodgursky »

teen wrote: post #3

The amount of pollution / trash this company produces seems pretty counter to their mission statement.

Plus, a lot of the additional cost is literally the cost of the gas spent delivering individual meal boxes to your door (which is pointless individual pollution).

Re: Blue Apron Files for IPO

#14

Post by sp332 »

bpicolo wrote: post #12
jonknee wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> From what I recall when we had it, it was a lot less trash than going to the store and getting everything packaged individually. But all the stuff Blue Apron sends you is individually packaged (down to stuff like a single green onion in a bag)...

For various small bits they send a single brown paper bag (per meal).

Hm, it might actually be worse since they send a small package for each portion of spices etc. instead of me just buying one glass jar and using it for ages. I mean they once sent me a single egg in a big cardboard structure. https://goo.gl/photos/9xDYYQGtba6LPM1Y7 Very biodegradable in this case but still an interesting question.

Re: Blue Apron Files for IPO

#15

Post by underyx »

jonknee wrote: post #9
sp332 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I recall when we had it, it was a lot less trash than going to the store and getting everything packaged individually. And I'm sure the shipping is less polluting than having all the customers drive around too.

> From what I recall when we had it, it was a lot less trash than going to the store and getting everything packaged individually. But all the stuff Blue Apron sends you is individually packaged (down to stuff like a single green onion in a bag)...

Maybe the efficiency boost on the production line caused by this kind of packaging saves more energy than what's lost due to the extra material?

Re: Blue Apron Files for IPO

#16

Post by paulcole »

seibelj wrote: post #5

There is a lot of hate for this company on HN. They are trying to help people cook healthy food, they are doing a good thing, and have an actual product. Good for them! And I hope the engineers / common workers get some money too :)

>They are trying to help people cook healthy food, they are doing a good thing

I don't think the idea that they're "doing a good thing" is so cut and dry.

Aren't they producing an astounding amount of waste? And aren't the working conditions uncomfortable at best?

https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolineodonovan/the-not-so-wholeso...

Re: Blue Apron Files for IPO

#17

Post by [deleted] »

seibelj wrote: post #5

There is a lot of hate for this company on HN. They are trying to help people cook healthy food, they are doing a good thing, and have an actual product. Good for them! And I hope the engineers / common workers get some money too :)

[deleted]

Re: Blue Apron Files for IPO

#18

Post by icehawk219 »

jonknee wrote: post #11
spike021 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

what's a single shipment typically composed of? Curious since I was thinking of trying it. Do you mean like cardboard/plastic packaging? I was thinking materials would come in re-usable container. Not fancy, but even somewhat "cheapy" re-usable material.

From Googling around, lots of plastic bags: https://www.jennettefulda.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ing...

I haven't used Blue Apron but used one of their competitors and you'd get the ingredients like this but they'd also be in a big styrofoam container (to help insulate against the elements). The other problem was if you had 2 recipes that each called for a cucumber you'd get 2 individually bagged cucumbers. I don't know if they're smarter about this but that was a big turn off when I tried it.

Re: Blue Apron Files for IPO

#19

Post by bendykstra »

sp332 wrote: post #6
teen wrote: post #3

The amount of pollution / trash this company produces seems pretty counter to their mission statement.

From what I recall when we had it, it was a lot less trash than going to the store and getting everything packaged individually. And I'm sure the shipping is less polluting than having all the customers drive around too.

Also, there's almost zero food waste (assuming you eat everything) as they provide ingredients in the amounts required by the recipe.

Re: Blue Apron Files for IPO

#20

Post by resolaibohp »

leftnode wrote: post #4
teen wrote: post #3

The amount of pollution / trash this company produces seems pretty counter to their mission statement.

We canceled after a week precisely for this reason. I couldn't believe how much trash a single shipment generated.

I hear this a lot from people. When I go grocery shopping I have bags and boxes for nearly everything I purchase. When I order items on Amazon I get boxes and tons of packing materials. What is a better alternative that does not generate tons of trash?

Blue Apron also does a good job at allowing you to send back the materials so they can recycle them. I just point this out as I think they get a lot of criticism for a company that I don't think generates more trash than a lot of alternatives and they give an option to recycle.

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