One keen-eyed Redditor was left a little baffled after spotting something unusual on a shopping outing.
The shopper shared their experience in r/sydney, where they posted an image of a man carrying a luxury shopping bag with its own protective rain cover. In the photo, you can see a man carrying two orange plastic shopping bags, each with their own clear, "protective" bag around the outside.
"This blows my mind," the post reads. "Somebody help me understand why they need plastic to protect other plastic."
Many Redditors thought it seemed like a bit much, especially considering that 40 million tons of plastic waste are created in the U.S. each year. While some plastics are recyclable, only about 5% of them actually get recycled.
And thin plastics — like the kind used in bags and the wrapping that comes around things like paper towel rolls — are even harder to recycle. They can't go in your recycling bin and usually have to be dropped off at special locations to be recycled.
Commenters were quick to guess which luxury brand was the culprit of this faux pas. But commenters were mixed in their reactions.
While the plastic bags may seem excessive, commenters were quick to point out that higher quality items are more sustainable than many of the fast fashion brands that are taking over the industry.
The fashion industry produces about 100 billion garments each year. And the number of times people are wearing their clothes is declining — meaning more items are being thrown out than ever before. Higher-quality materials can be donated and re-worn more times than lower-quality items.
Commenters more familiar with luxury brands and products pointed out that the inside bag is actually made of paper or cardboard — so protecting it from the rain may have been necessary.
"The inner bags are likely made of paper/cardboard, which isn't likely to survive the rain we had today," one person writes.
Another simply asked, "Who buys that?"
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