A shopper took to Reddit to share their frustration with a practice they've seen at many local grocery stores, one that is gaining attention and sparking debates with shoppers worldwide: wrapping produce in plastic.
What's happening?
The user posted a photo of the particular product that caused their frustration to the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, "The sheer waste of single-use plastic in the cucumber multipacks that are sold at most stores in my area. The secondary wrap is especially very difficult to remove, even with scissors!" written above it.
"I read somewhere that the wrapping on cucumbers specifically is a giant net positive on climate impact. The plastic/carbon used to produce and wrap is miniscule but the loss of produce without it is very high and would result in massively increased shipping emissions," commented another user. "The second wrapping seems like it's completely wasted though and purely for marketing."
Why is plastic wrap important?
As shoppers worldwide have pointed out time and again, plastic wrap on produce, whether it be a cucumber, potato, or banana, is simply unnecessary.
Aside from being unnecessary, it's also problematic on multiple levels.
One is the cost level: materials aren't free. The store has to pay for all that plastic being wrapped around its products, and this cost is often passed on to the customer.
It also carries an environmental cost. While the commenter who said they read it may be a net positive because it saves food from going to waste and, thus, cuts back on pollution from shipping more, their example doesn't portray the entire picture.
While one layer of wrapping may contribute to a net positive in this way, the second likely does not. Further, producing plastic wrap and other plastic products is one environmental issue, but the waste it creates once its use is over is another enormous problem.
Statista reported about 40 million tons of plastic waste are created annually in the United States alone, only about 5% of which gets recycled. The rest wreaks havoc on ecosystems, wildlife, and human health.
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Is the company doing anything about this?
While the retailer and producer of this cucumber packaging are unclear, many grocery stores and produce companies are working to eliminate plastic waste.
Trader Joe's has been scaling back on plastic packaging, Aldi has eliminated all plastic bags in its stores, and Del Monte has started shipping its bananas in reusable plastic boxes.
What's being done about plastic waste more broadly?
Aside from companies cutting back on plastic to begin with, others are developing products that can replace plastic altogether.
Apeel Sciences is making a plastic-free, edible coating for fruits and vegetables; Notpla is on a mission to make plastic packaging, including coatings and wraps, disappear; and Sway has made plastic wrap and other products out of seaweed, to name a few.
Individuals can support these brands and others that use plastic-free packaging and find alternatives to everyday items made of plastic. Regarding produce specifically, growing your own food is a great way to avoid produce packaged this way and help reduce the overall demand for it.
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