Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a great need for United States’ restaurants to “go green” due to consumers’ habits of frequently eating out. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has caused this initiative to lose traction. While the amount of customers ordering takeout has increased, there is less emphasis on sustainability.<br/>Plastic is known for its harmful effects on the environment and the extreme length of time it takes to decompose. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), almost 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans at an annual rate, threatening not only the safety of marine species but also human health. Modern food packaging materials have included a blend of synthetic ingredients, trickling into our daily lives and polluting the air, water, and land. Single-use plastic items slowly degrade into microplastics and can take up to hundreds of years to biodegrade.<br/>Due to COVID-19, restaurants have switched to takeout and delivery options to adapt to the new business environment and guidelines enforced by the Center of Disease Control (CDC) mandated guidelines. Some of these guidelines include: notices encouraging social distancing and mask-wearing, mandated masks for employees, and easy access to sanitary supplies. This cultural shift is motivating restaurants to search for a quick, cheap, and easy fix to adapt to the increased demand of take-out and delivery methods. This increases their plastic consumption of items such as plastic bags/paper bags, styrofoam containers, and beverage cups. Plastic is the most popular takeout material because of its price and durability as well as allowing for limited contamination and easy disposability.<br/>Almost all food products come in packaging and this, more often than not, is single-use. Food is the largest market out of all the packaging industry, maintaining roughly two-thirds of material going to food. The US Environmental Protection Agency reports that almost half of all municipal solid waste is made up of food and food packaging materials. In 2014, over 162 million tons of packaging material waste was generated in the states. This typically contains toxic inks and dyes that leach into groundwater and soil. When degrading, pieces of plastic absorb toxins like PCBs and pesticides, and then each piece will, in turn, release toxic chemicals like Bisphenol-A. Even before being thrown away, it causes negative effects for the environment. The creation of packaging materials uses many resources such as petroleum and chemicals and then releases toxic byproducts. Such byproducts include sludge containing contaminants, greenhouse gases, and heavy metal and particulate matter emissions. Unlike many other industries, plastic manufacturing has actually increased production. Demand has increased and especially in the food industry to keep things sanitary. This increase in production is reflective of the increase in waste. <br/>Although restaurants have implemented their own sustainable initiatives to combat their carbon footprint, the pandemic has unfortunately forced restaurants to digress. For example, Just Salad, a fast-food restaurant chain, incentivized customers with discounted meals to use reusable bowls which saved over 75,000 pounds of plastic per year. However, when the pandemic hit, the company halted the program to pivot towards takeout and delivery. This effect is apparent on an international scale. Singapore was in lock-down for eight weeks and during that time, 1,470 tons of takeout and food delivery plastic waste was thrown out. In addition, the Hong Kong environmental group Greeners Action surveyed 2,000 people in April and the results showed that people are ordering out twice as much as last year, doubling the use of plastic.<br/>However, is this surge of plastic usage necessary in the food industry or are there methods that can be used to reduce the amount of waste production? The COVID-19 pandemic caused a fracture in the food system’s supply chain, involving food, factory, and farm. This thesis will strive to tackle such topics by analyzing the supply chains of the food industry and identify areas for sustainable opportunities. These recommendations will help to identify areas for green improvement.

Four Peaks Brewing Company, a business case study written by Megan Hahn, is a case study thematic to supply chain management. Framed as supplement learning material, this case study gives students the chance to understand real-life business scenarios. This case enables its readers to analyze business issues from a variety of perspectives and apply critical thinking and problem solving skills providing invaluable understanding of different supply chain management concepts and strategies. This case tells the tale of Four Peaks Brewing Co, an Arizona brewery recently acquired by Anheuser-Busch, facing an aluminum shortage and an influx of demand brought on by shifting consumer habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. This case provides an opportunity to explore the important role of sourcing and procurement in a low-margin, high demand, complex beverage production system. Differing from supply chain cases about technology or car manufacturing firms, the food/beverage industry introduces new levels of supply chain risk and complexity. Requiring the use of supply chain strategy, understanding supply constraints in multi-echelon supply systems, and inventory concepts, Four Peaks Brewing Co. allows students to apply conceptual material learned in class to an interesting and relevant real-life example. Central to this case is Denise’s decision on which can supplier to choose for the new product, the Sun Day seltzer. With differing lead times, costs, and time pressures, students are provided the opportunity to evaluate the important tradeoffs supply chain professionals face.

Four Peaks Brewing Company, a business case study written by Megan Hahn, is a case study thematic to supply chain management. Framed as supplement learning material, this case study gives students the chance to understand real-life business scenarios. This case enables its readers to analyze business issues from a variety of perspectives and apply critical thinking and problem solving skills providing invaluable understanding of different supply chain management concepts and strategies. This case tells the tale of Four Peaks Brewing Co, an Arizona brewery recently acquired by Anheuser-Busch, facing an aluminum shortage and an influx of demand brought on by shifting consumer habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. This case provides an opportunity to explore the important role of sourcing and procurement in a low-margin, high demand, complex beverage production system. Differing from supply chain cases about technology or car manufacturing firms, the food/beverage industry introduces new levels of supply chain risk and complexity. Requiring the use of supply chain strategy, understanding supply constraints in multi-echelon supply systems, and inventory concepts, Four Peaks Brewing Co. allows students to apply conceptual material learned in class to an interesting and relevant real-life example. Central to this case is Denise’s decision on which can supplier to choose for the new product, the Sun Day seltzer. With differing lead times, costs, and time pressures, students are provided the opportunity to evaluate the important tradeoffs supply chain professionals face.