WEEK 8: FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
AVOID plastic wrapped items. OPT for unpackaged items and BUY from a local farmer’s market, if you can.
I. PROBLEM
Fruits and vegetables come in their own natural wrapping. Why do we smother them in plastic? (src)
We choose to display them in plastic trays, themselves cling-wrapped in another layer of plastic.
This funny clip from comedien Rhod Gilbert on plastic wrapped potatoes pretty much sums up my feelings. Listen to it! :D
1. THE MYTHS
A. Plastic packaging helps keep food hygienic and safe.
No, it might not be hygienic or safe to keep food in plastic. Hygienic? Disease Outbreaks (Salmonella, lysteria, and e.Coli) have been traced to bagged fresh produce, especially spinach and salad greens (src). Think about the possibility of a tiny bit of contamination from manure or tainted irrigation water that is in a plastic bag being trucked across the desert. A perfect incubator for bacteria. Safe? Infinitesimal bits of plastic get into food from containers over time (leaching). It starts with food produce packaging.
B. Saves time; Convenient for people who are in a rush
If we factor the time taken to unpack the products later and dispose our garbage, and the time taken to buy more trash can covers for the sake of disposing them — we save time by buying produce without packaging.
C. Cost-effective.
It isn’t cost effective as instead of buying 1, you are forced to buy 3 or more. And the customers are paying for the packaging so ‘No, thank you’. The costs of servicing this lifestyle is high, for people as well as the environment.
2. PRODUCE STICKERS
This tiny piece of plastic seems harmless, but in-fact ruins the compost quality (assuming we even compost it) as people tend to throw leftovers with the stickers still attached to them.
SOLUTION
Supermarkets are led by us CONSUMERS. As we become more conscious about the produce we buy and the packaging we consume, so do they.
A. BUY plastic-free produce whenever possible.
If you have an option to buy apples not packed in plastic — BUY that! It is that simple.
Every time you buy it, you create a demand for this product, not it’s plastic wrapped version.
B. VISIT the farmer’s market (or find other stores with plastic free produce which is convenient for you)
Usually in local markets, you can buy produce without plastic.
eg: Strawberries! ❤
You support the local community, buy organic plastic-free produce!
C. TALK to the management
This is much easier with a farmer’s market. You can ask them to switch to plastic free options. Otherwise, you can ask the manager to try to cut plastic in produce. This wouldn’t work most of the time. But it’s worth a shot :)
D. [EXTRA] LAZER PRINTING
Marks & Spencer in Sweden, replaced sticky labels with laser printing on its avocados in response to consumer demand for less packaging.
Avocados are lasered with the shop logo, best before date, country of origin and product code for entering at the till.
3. FIN
Local, seasonal, unpackaged fruit and vegetables also tend to be cheaper than their imported counterparts, more nutritious and free from potentially harmful chemical wrapping.
If you dislike food wrapped in plastic as much as I do, stop buying it wherever possible. Buy loose, seasonal produce in supermarkets and, if you have a greengrocer or market nearby, use them :)
Byeeeee ❤
Meghna
