Plastic is a growing problem in the modern world. While it offers immediate convenience, we pay the cost later in pollution that harms people and animals. That's why Redditors were so frustrated when one user posted photos of an especially wasteful use of plastic from their local grocery store.
What's happening?
The post captioned "Just why?!" appeared in r/Anticonsumption, a subreddit for those looking to save money and help the planet by promoting a more minimalist lifestyle.
In the two attached photos, the original poster is holding a product they found for sale in their local store: a single slice of bread. It's apparently ordinary white bread, not a gourmet baked good of any kind, but it's still individually wrapped in clear plastic. An orange sticker on the package marks the item's price, which is 25 cents.
One commenter summarized what they saw. "... the [U.S.]-capitalistic perversion of 'bread', a hyperprocessed version of one of the oldest foods of human civilization - a single slice wrapped in the absolute worst thing that humans could ever do to this planet," they said. "There should be laws against this."
Why is this bread for sale important?
The problem here is the excessive use of plastic. Plastic — made from oil, which pollutes soil and water when it's extracted from the ground — is generally bad for the planet. The plastic itself too often becomes litter, which can hurt animals that eat it or get stuck in it. Then it breaks down into microplastics, which then end up all over the world — including inside human bodies, where scientists are still discovering more negative health effects.
What could the company do about this?
Buying a loaf of bread at a time works just fine for most households and generates much less plastic waste than wrapping individual slices. If stores do want to sell bread in smaller quantities, they could serve it at the deli counter, where it can be prepared to order and potentially wrapped in waxed paper instead of plastic. There are also plastic alternatives that are better for the environment because they're plant-based and/or biodegradable.
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What can I do about plastic waste?
While it may be surprising, this isn't the only example of companies distributing single bread slices wrapped in plastic. Pushback from the public is needed to stop this trend.
You can encourage companies to seek alternatives to this and other forms of irresponsible plastic by avoiding plastic in your purchases and your daily life.
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