When it comes to fresh fruits and veggies, packaging seems unnecessary. After all, these same items have been sold without any kind of wrapper or label for centuries.
However, some grocery suppliers have started to wrap these items in wasteful, polluting plastic. For example, one frustrated customer in Qatar shared how bananas are sold in the Villagio Mall — and it was not pretty.
What happened?
"Plastic waste jackpot," the Redditor declared in their post about the find. "Seen at Carrefour in Villaggio."
The attached photo showed a pile of bananas, including both individual fruits and bunches. Almost all of them were wrapped in plastic, including large, brightly colored sleeves on dozens of individual bananas. The packaging calls them "Dole Banana Singles."
Dole and Carrefour aren't the only offenders when it comes to wasteful packaging. Companies around the world seem to be using more and more plastic for smaller and smaller quantities of produce, dramatically increasing the amount of trash generated per serving of food.
Why is the extra packaging a problem?
That trash, especially the plastic, is annoying for buyers to deal with and rarely gets recycled. Instead, it's much more likely to end up as litter or take up space in a landfill. Either way, it's one more expense for suppliers that drives up costs for consumers, all while polluting the planet.
Many people try to make more eco-friendly choices, but there are times when it can be difficult.
"Have you seen the locally produced product which is sold in chunky styrofoam?" one commenter asked. "Far, far worse; it's like a brick."
"I tried to be [an] environmentally friendly individual, but it's too hard in Doha," another user said. "Difficulties start from your own home/family to all of the society. I believe that such rules to reduce plastic waste should be implemented by [the] government first."
Is Dole doing anything about this?
According to Dole, it's in the process of phasing out "fossil-based" plastic packaging, meaning packaging made from oil, like most plastic. Instead, it has committed to switching to green alternatives by 2025.
What can I do to help reduce plastic waste?
Until lawmakers step in to set limits on plastic packaging, individuals can minimize their plastic waste by gardening as well as by buying from both local and large-scale brands that avoid excess packaging.
In the future, healthy and eco-friendly alternatives to the material may make their way to grocery store shelves.
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