When you go to the produce aisle, you're looking for fresh flavor and healthy vitamins — not harmful chemicals and garbage. But unfortunately, shoppers today are finding more and more of the latter mixed in with their fruits and veggies.
A Redditor just shared the latest example of plastic-wrapped produce at their local market, and it's a frustrating one.
What happened?
They shared their find on r/mildlyinfuriating, with the title "Am I crazy for thinking this is ridiculous?" The post included a photo of the shrink-wrapped produce.
In the picture, trimmed ears of corn are stacked five at a time onto plastic trays, wrapped in more plastic, with a cheerful label slapped on top. Each ear is only half-shucked — enough to show off the yellow corn kernels, but not enough to actually make the prep work much faster.
"Wow, if only they came in some convenient natural wrapping and we didn't have to package them," says a sarcastic caption.
This isn't the only store selling plastic-wrapped corn on the cob in recent years, either.
Why does the plastic wrapping matter?
Plastic plus food is a bad combination in general, given how chemicals can leach out of plastic over time or with heat. It's one of the reasons Oregon and other areas are banning styrofoam food containers.
Another good reason is the amount of trash this creates. While a natural ear of corn produces a few husks you can put in the compost bin, plastic wrap creates a mess that'll be around in a landfill for 100 years. It's nearly impossible to recycle and is more likely to end up in a landfill or the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
What is this company doing about plastic waste?
To this provider's credit, the corn situation appears to be outside the norm for them. "Before anyone says 'produce goes in little plastic bags anyway,' this particular market's bags are all biodegradable and the bags at checkout are paper," said the original poster.
One commenter also leaped to the company's defense. "It's to make it more visually appealing," they pointed out. "And you can see what variety it is, which appears to be the very popular butter and sugar. Plus, it now has a bar code on it for faster checkout."
What can I do to cut down my plastic waste?
For those with enough yard space, the best way to avoid plastic-wrapped produce is to grow your own. If corn is too big a plant for your available garden space, try buying from local growers that use minimal or eco-friendly packaging.
More broadly, watch out for single-use plastics. For example, you can use a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water. If you must use a disposable option, look for something more eco-friendly than plastic.
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