Shopper sparks debate with before-and-after photos after unboxing children's toy: 'That should be illegal'

Plastic is bad for the environment, and it's particularly frustrating when it's used unnecessarily. One frustrated shopper took to Reddit after opening a set of children's toys with photos revealing an unbelievable amount of plastic waste.

What's happening?

The toy set in question was an L.O.L. Surprise! "Big Surprise Party" pack. "Now they're doing the kids toys," said the Redditor.

"How can corporations claim to be 'environmentally conscious' after pulling stuff like this?" — Photo Credit: Reddit

Their first photo showed a series of small plastic prize balls and four dolls arranged around a large "cake" on the front of the package of toys. But the "cake" turned out to be several plastic shells full of tiny plastic confetti. Two of the layers contained prizes, but the third was purely for decoration, according to the Redditor. "There wasn't even a prize in the last photo; it was just garbage," they said.

Why is this plastic waste important?

All of this plastic confetti might be fun for a child to open, but once it's out of the box, it's a huge mess. Plus, there's nothing to do with all that packaging and smaller trash but throw it out. In a landfill, the plastic will stick around for a hundred years or more — and if any of the material escapes into the environment, it will shed microplastics into the water and soil. The small plastic pieces are just the right size to be mistaken for food by fish and could kill wildlife or lead to people ingesting plastic.

"That should be illegal," said one commenter. "How can corporations claim to be 'environmentally conscious' after pulling stuff like this?"

Is the manufacturer doing anything about this?

L.O.L. Surprise! belongs to the MGA Entertainment brand. According to the company, in 2019, it committed to using only 100% recycled, recyclable, or bio-based plastic in its toys and packaging by 2025. In particular, it claims to have released sustainable packaging for the L.O.L. Surprise! line.

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"MGA is committed to sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives, and we are proud to take this monumental step with our new L.O.L. Surprise! Earth Love toys, with many more to come," said MGA Entertainment founder and CEO Isaac Larian.

Unfortunately, those guidelines leave the company plenty of wiggle room to use excessive and messy packaging.

What can I do about plastic waste?

Whenever possible, choose brands that use minimal, easily recyclable, or plastic-free packaging. You can also eliminate plastic from many areas of your life by choosing plastic-free alternatives. As a bonus, many of these items are more durable and higher quality — a win for you and the environment.