Shopper sparks outrage with photo of upsetting candy item: 'It's really frustrating'

It can be hard to enjoy your favorite chocolate when the company that makes it does not seem to care about protecting the environment. 

At least, that is how this Reddit user felt when sharing their frustrations with The Hershey Company and its reliance on single-use plastics. 

"With the push to move away from single-use plastics, Hershey's keeps running towards it," they shared in a post on the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, with a photograph of an opened Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. 

Although the actual product is small, the plastic wrapper that contains it is not only excessive, but it seems extreme for a single item. The post is meant to demonstrate the frustration that comes with Hershey's use of single-use plastic packaging for candy, including for its Reese's brand. 

While the company used to wrap its products in foil, it moved away from that in 2003 and has since fully transitioned to plastic packaging. 

Foil is not perfect either, but it is generally more sustainable and environmentally-friendly than plastic because most aluminum foil products are recyclable and degrade more easily. In contrast, plastic often ends up in landfills and can take literal centuries to start degrading. 

One user in the comments of the post expressed their dismay that more companies are embracing plastic and "moving back from their net zero goals."

"It's really frustrating," the OP wrote in a response. "Hershey's seems to have never moved towards it, just actively in the opposite direction." 

Thankfully, scientists are working on numerous methods for accelerating the degradation of plastic products, which could help push for new approaches rather than the old, unsustainable methods that are falling behind the rate of plastic production. 

Additionally, companies like German startup Radical Dot and others are working towards similar plastic solutions, and city ordinances are pushing agendas to encourage people to use less plastic in their daily lives.

Should states be allowed to ban plastic items from businesses? Definitely 👍 No way 👎 Depends on the item 🤔 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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