No matter where you go, it doesn't take long to spot an example of unnecessary plastic waste — and that's especially true at grocery stores and restaurants. Individually wrapped items are particularly harmful to the environment, but it's surprisingly common to see foods such as fruits and vegetables packaged this way.
In another instance of egregious business waste, a baffled chef took to Reddit to air their grievances about a container of eggs separately wrapped in plastic at their workplace.
What's happening?
The employee shared a photo of about a dozen hard-boiled, pre-shelled eggs, which arrived at the restaurant in individual plastic packaging.
"These hard-boiled eggs that are individually wrapped in plastic take longer to open than it would to remove the former shell," they vented in the post.
According to the poster, it was unusual for the restaurant to receive eggs packaged separately, but they apparently got them from a different supplier.
"We ran out of the regular hard-boiled eggs that come in big (recyclable) plastic buckets floating in some kind of embalming fluid," the OP explained in a later comment.
"I've never actually seen this kind of packaging before in stores," one user commented.
Another believed there was a good reason for the plastic, writing: "When they're sealed like that, they can last longer than 7 days in the fridge. Otherwise, one week, shell or no shell."
While plastic packaging can prolong the shelf life of certain foods, the eggs probably could've been wrapped in one or two bigger plastic bags without spoiling.
Why is plastic waste concerning?
As the U.N. Environment Programme put it, "Our planet is choking on plastic." According to the UNEP, the world produces over 440 million tons of plastic each year, half of which is designed for disposable items such as water bottles, bags, and food packaging.
Unfortunately, it is believed that around 85% of these single-use plastics end their life cycles in landfills or as unregulated waste. While estimates vary, the UNEP reported that less than 10% of all plastics ever produced have been recycled.
When plastics aren't disposed of properly, they can wind up in the ocean or other natural environments, disrupting ecosystems and harming wildlife.
In addition, when plastic slowly breaks down in the environment, it turns into smaller pieces called microplastics that can leach harmful chemicals into soil and water and cause numerous health issues in humans.
Are companies doing anything about this?
The poster chose to keep their workplace anonymous, so it's unclear what policies the company has about plastic waste.
However, plenty of businesses are making a difference and moving toward sustainable packaging. For example, fast-food chains such as Starbucks have started offering reusable cups at select locations in California. By 2030, PepsiCo says it aims to double its usage of reusable packaging to cut down on plastic waste.
In addition, Trader Joe's has eliminated over 12 million pounds of plastic packaging from its products in recent years and recycled more than 277 million pounds in 2022.
What's being done about plastic waste more broadly?
While plastic waste is a major issue, scientists and businesses are moving full steam ahead on solutions and have already unveiled some pretty amazing ideas. One company figured out how to transform plastic waste into an additive for sustainable concrete, and researchers at Rice University in Houston have developed a method to create hydrogen fuel from discarded plastic.
As consumers, we can also help clean up the planet by supporting brands with plastic-free packaging and opting for reusable water bottles and grocery bags. However, the easiest — and cheapest — solution is to reduce our consumption and reuse items when possible.
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