A shopper sparked outrage in Reddit's r/Anticonsumption after stumbling across a plastic-heavy packaging decision from a company that's part of a massively polluting industry.
What's happening?
They posted a photo of Perdue's chicken breasts. The large plastic bag containing the chicken includes 24 ounces of meat wrapped in individual plastic pouches.
"This much plastic on raw meat is so immoral. I lost my mind seeing this in the store," the poster wrote.
"The waste of meat packaging was a big part of why I stopped eating it," one person shared.
"But no antibiotics though! Only microplastics, so that is OK then," another said sarcastically.
Why is this important?
One user suggested Perdue's packaging technique may have been well-intentioned.
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"Convenience and easier freezing/storage. If you're single and only cooking one or two at a time, you can grab them and thaw just them in the fridge," they wrote.
While freezing is a surefire hack to keep food fresh for longer, another commenter pointed out that there are better ways to separate food. Reusable stasher bags, for example, can help consumers portion food for later use without so much waste.
Humans produce hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste each year, and around 40% of that waste comes from packaging, according to Our World in Data. This packaging isn't always easy to recycle. Instead, it piles up in overcrowded landfills and ends up as litter, contributing to biodiversity loss, disease spread, and rising global temperatures.
Is Perdue doing anything about this?
Perdue Farms has been subject to scrutiny over the years. This spring, for instance, it was hit with a lawsuit after allegedly contaminating water supplies with toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or "forever chemicals," which can accumulate in the body and are linked to severe health problems.
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Saving money 💰 Nonetheless, it says it looks to reduce its environmental impact across operations. It has added compost barns, launched tree-planting initiatives in pastures and near poultry barns, and teamed up with farmers to support regenerative agriculture, which leads to healthier soil.
Perdue also encourages shoppers to avoid single-use plastic bags. However, The Cool Down couldn't find any information about whether Perdue is exploring plastic packaging alternatives. A number of projects are underway to develop edible, biodegradable food packaging.
What can I do to prevent excessive plastic waste?
The best way to reduce plastic waste is to avoid creating it in the first place. Choosing plastic-free alternatives for everyday essentials and supporting brands or products with plastic-free packaging will minimize your contributions to the plastic waste crisis and help communicate to companies that going plastic-free will benefit their bottom lines.
Collectively, this can move the needle toward a cleaner future. Shorr's 2025 Sustainable Packaging Consumer Report revealed that 90% of respondents said they are more likely to purchase products from a brand or retailer that uses eco-friendly packaging.
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