In grocery stores around the world, there's a growing trend of packaging fruits and vegetables in plastic. One shopper simply was not having it and posted an angry tirade on Reddit after encountering plastic-wrapped bell peppers at their local Aldi.
What happened?
What pushed the original poster to the edge was pictured in two photos they shared on r/melbourne.
The first photo shows large bell peppers packaged in pairs on cardboard trays wrapped in plastic, with bright labels calling them "Capsicum Duos" and saying they're crisp and perfect for grilling.
The second image shows the shelf above piled high with identical bell peppers that are being sold loose, with no plastic in sight.
Sadly, this isn't the first time plastic-wrapped peppers have turned up on grocery store shelves.
Why does the extra packaging matter?
The original poster broke down why this sight made them so angry in their Reddit post.
"Why is this 'plastic wrapped vegetables' crap not illegal when we have literal microplastic flowing through our blood?" they demanded. "And also, how dumb you have to be to buy it when a kilo of the same is twice as cheap? What are you paying for, destroying ecosystems?"
The microplastics they're referring to are tiny pieces of plastic found all over the world and in human blood. They're linked to cancer and other serious health problems.
Actually, the original poster's price estimate is a little off. At $3.49 per kilogram for the loose peppers, compared to $10.64 for the same quantity of wrapped ones, the plastic-packaged peppers are more than three times the price.
What is Aldi doing to combat plastic waste?
According to Aldi's website, the grocery chain is working on more sustainable packaging. It is making efforts to use less packaging material, make more of its packaging from recycled products, and make each item easier to recycle.
"All fiber-based primary packaging components for our core range products are sourced from certified responsibly managed forests or contain 70% recycled content," the company claims — and by 2025, it pledges to offer only recyclable, reusable, and compostable packaging.
It was also the first U.S. retailer to eliminate plastic shopping bags.
What can I do about the extra plastic?
Sometimes, a store like Aldi makes the choice obvious: Just pick the loose peppers instead of the plastic-covered ones to reduce waste and save money all at once.
If that's not an option, you can look for a different store or brand, or potentially even a local grower that is committed to minimizing plastic packaging. Finally, growing your own peppers and other produce can be cost-effective, rewarding, and completely plastic-free.
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