Mini packs of products may be convenient, but they can be sneakily problematic.
One shopper called out Tic Tac, owned by Italian company Ferrero, after stumbling across an outrageous packaging decision.
What's happening?
In the r/Anticonsumption subreddit, the shopper posted an image of a large plastic Tic Tac container holding 60 plastic mini boxes of four Tic Tac flavors.
"I can't even go into most stores anymore, s*** like this always pisses me off!" the original poster wrote.
The manufacturer's excessive use of plastic similarly confused or angered other Redditors.
"It's not like regular Tic Tac containers are huge and bulky, so what's the point?" one asked.
"This is so gross," another added, while a third noted they couldn't overlook the glaring issue but suggested the adorable packaging could unfortunately draw in some consumers. "I saw these recently. While they are cute, my first thought was 'omg all the plastic,'" they said.
Why is this important?
Every stage of the plastic life cycle is highly polluting, from manufacturing to disposal, as most plastics are derived from dirty fuels and require toxic chemical treatments.
In 2021, Beyond Plastics estimated that the plastics industry's contribution to rising global temperatures could surpass that of coal-fired power in the United States by 2030.
While the country has begun phasing out coal (the dirtiest and deadliest fuel) and repurposing coal facilities for renewable projects that support energy security and local economies, the plastics market size is expected to expand.
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The way it looks 😍 Plastic recycling is part of the equation, which is a step in the right direction. However, the nonprofit Greenpeace points out that many types of plastic are unrecyclable. In fact, up to 95% of plastics end up in landfills, generating methane and taking generations to break down.
"The plastics industrial complex did a real con job on the American public with drastically overselling the ease of plastic recycling," one commenter wrote.
Is Ferrero doing anything about this?
On its website, Ferrero outlines its plans to tackle packaging waste, which it acknowledges as "one of the biggest challenges facing the food and drink industry."
The company says more than 90% of its packaging is recyclable and around 40% of its packaging uses renewable materials.
It is also working to slash virgin plastic by 10% compared with a 2020 baseline and reduce plastic usage overall. For example, it estimates a reimagined Ferrero Rocher 24-piece box with a 40% plastic reduction will eliminate the need for more than 2,200 tons of plastic.
How can I reduce plastic waste from snack products more broadly?
One Redditor explained that avoiding plastic wasn't always easy in their household because their mother-in-law buys mini Tic Tacs as gifts.
However, they get creative and reuse the empty Tic Tac boxes as seed savers, earring cases, and organizers for camping trips — similar to how other consumers have repurposed their old pill bottles to keep them from ending up in landfills.
If you're stocking up on treats yourself, purchasing from your local zero-waste store or the bulk-bin section of your grocery retailer is an easy way to avoid excess plastic.
Just make sure to bring plastic-free storage alternatives, such as silicone containers, reusable bags, or mason jars, to carry your goods.
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