Shopper frustrated after noticing deceptive label on recently purchased product: 'I see this with so many other products and brands'

Recycling is one of the most widespread sustainable practices that people participate in every day. But if it gets too complicated or inconvenient, it's more likely that something recyclable will wind up being thrown in the trash.

Even people with the best intentions have trouble with some recycling instructions that companies are trying to pass off as good for the environment. In the subreddit r/mildlyinfuriating, one Reddit user posted a photo of a confusing recycling message on food packaging.

The package appears to read, "Recycle with bags at large supermarket. Don't recycle at home."

The poster pointed out that these instructions are "putting the burden on consumers instead of manufacturers."

"I see this with so many other products and brands. If something is technically recyclable but inconvenient, how many actually get recycled? It feels like being green is more about shifting responsibility than making real, accessible changes," they said.

It's frustrating to see fine print like this next to larger, flashier claims of recyclability. The consumer is likely to see the bigger claims first and assume they are buying from a sustainable brand that uses fully recyclable packaging.

This level of greenwashing may be slight, but it can snowball into a much more significant problem. Greenwashing is a relatively new term for when companies try to profit off of eco-friendly marketing without doing the actual work.

As more consumers take an interest in sustainability, they want to shop from brands that care about the environment. Those brands are more than willing to jump on the bandwagon with green-colored packaging and vague claims about saving the planet.

Luckily, people are catching on to these empty promises, calling out companies for any false claims and even serving them with lawsuits.

Most commenters on the Reddit post agreed that brands are intentionally passing the buck to consumers and engaging in greenwashing.

What confuses you most about recycling protocol? Which materials I can recycle 📦 How clean the material needs to be 🧼 What the plastic numbers mean ♻️ Nothing at all 😇 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"They're making their products seem environmentally friendly so they can claim environmental responsibility without making any meaningful systematic changes," one user commented.

"Whenever I see 'don't recycle at home', to me it's not recyclable. Don't tell me it's recyclable then expect me to go elsewhere to do so. You may like lots of green on your packet, but it's a fallacy," another commenter said.

"They aren't really focused on recycling but instead have a list of topics to address so that they seem as conscious as possible with the least money spent," one user said.

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