A repair expert revealed a sneaky source of pollution associated with the food supply value chain — raising questions about whether more could be done to keep grocery bills in check.
What's happening?
In Reddit's r/IndustrialMaintenance, the expert posted four photos showing how they ended up with a lot of plastic waste after servicing Tetra Pak machines. Tetra Pak is a top food processing and packaging solutions company whose machines help safeguard food safety and quality.
"Does anyone else encounter this? … I get that they don't want their products damaged in transport but it amazes me they still do this," they wrote, also expressing annoyance at how time-consuming it was to unwrap each item and calling the packaging practices "bonkers."
Another repair expert suggested this wasn't an anomaly.
"I once spent 2 hours unpacking … each spacer was in a bag big enough to fit 1,000+, every 10 spacer bags were in another bag, all those bags were in a bigger bag, which was then in another bag, stuffed inside a large cardboard box full of peanuts," they vented.
Why is this important?
No one likes a time drain, but Tetra Pak's packaging practices could be contributing to more than just an annoying day at the office for repair experts.
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Already, the world generates more than 440 million tons of plastic every year, and overreliance on the material is one reason why we are generating more plastic than ever before.
A study from Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology warns that "global warming and plastic pollution create [a] vicious circle." Heat increases plastic deterioration (leading to higher demand), while plastic production causes more heat-trapping gases to enter the atmosphere.
As global temperatures have risen, farmers are reporting significant disruptions to operations — due in part to more intense extreme weather — and these costs trickle down to consumers.
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Giving me money back 💰 Why would Tetra Pak use so much plastic?
One Redditor said they asked a vendor about why their Tetra parts came in so much plastic. The vendor reportedly replied, "To ensure that you receive a new, unused part, every time."
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For its part, Tetra Pak said in its 2024 Sustainability Report that it has invested €100 million (around $117 million) in research to boost the eco-friendliness of its packaging.
It has also collected more than 1.4 million tons of used beverage cartons for recycling (supporting 28% global collection rate), and its recycling food packaging is helping to provide safe access to food for remote communities with limited access to refrigeration.
"Our long-term ambition is clear: for all our packaging to use renewable or recycled polymers, ending the extraction of fossil feedstock and supporting the transition to a low carbon circular economy," TetraPak writes on its website.
What else can be done about plastic waste?
While recycling plastic is certainly better than letting it sit in a landfill or end up as litter, the material is still overwhelmingly made from polluting dirty fuels and isn't infinitely recyclable.
You can help reduce reliance on plastic by opting for plastic-free alternatives to everyday products and supporting brands committed to plastic-free packaging.
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