one womans quest to takle over-packaging...join me!

Doom_and_Gloom

I also think that the amount of packaging is shocking. Most fruit and veg do not need to be packaged and it could be done in netting if they really must rather than plastic and you could have it so the netting is reusable . Packaging on ready meals is stupid as you have the container then a card outing as well :mad: . what the hell is up with that? It really is NOT needed.
I get most of my fruit and veg from the grocers. They do not insist on putting everything in plastic and they provide paper bags to put produce in if you want to! The only thing I know that they sell with plastic is the cucumbers. I can not find anywhere that doesn't for some reason .
Packaging needs to be re-addressed EVERYWHERE not just at supermarkets though. However if we can get it so supermarkets re-think it all we might be able to get other places to do the same :T .

C_Ronaldo

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

The only thing I know that they sell with plastic is the cucumbers. I can not find anywhere that doesn't for some reason .

the thing is ive seen cucumber not wrapped in plastic in european supermarkets so why cant we do the same

Doom_and_Gloom

C_Ronaldo wrote: »

the thing is ive seen cucumber not wrapped in plastic in european supermarkets so why cant we do the same

This is a very good point. If European countries are not wrapping up cucumbers we can do the same. Why is this not happening? LESS PACKAGING = LESS WASTE!

When I was getting a fruit and veg box some things did come in plastic bags HOWEVER you returned them when you returned your box the produce came in and they were used again if possible. If not THEY recycled and it was a family business so it's not like they had buckets of money either as the boxes were very well priced.

moonrakerz

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

If European countries are not wrapping up cucumbers we can do the same.

These are the same European countries that pushed through an EU Law about not selling "bent" cucumbers ! Which they are now "considering" repealing.

Gigervamp

With regards to buying loose veg in Mr T's, I noticed the other day that the loose baking potatoes were about 40p a kilo MORE than the ones in the prepacked bags!

Ben84

I believe supermarkets like plastic wrapping all their fruit and vegetables because it keeps them from visibly decaying much longer. Their 'fresh' produce is nowhere near as fresh as the fruit and vegetables bought from markets and traditional greengrocers.

Sometimes, when I've been disorganised I've bought a cabbage or something from the market and forgotten it in my fridge for a week or two and it still looks and tastes fresher than the ones being sold in supermarkets.

Supermarket produce tends to come from much further away, often things that could be grown locally come thousands of miles, simply to take advantage of better prices - although these don't seem to be passed on to us as markets are normally much cheaper. Supermarkets also have big central distribution warehouses that add more time to the journey. Plastic wrapping helps preserve it on the longer journey.

I've also had a lot of fruit from supermarkets that started to decay within days of buying, but was nowhere near ripe. Why is it rotting before even ripening, it seems very unnatural, and why do fruits from the market never do this. I suspect supermarkets are chilling unripe fruits to make them last longer and appear crisp and fresh in store.

I've stopped buying fruit and vegetables in supermarkets, I've had too many problems and too much waste with them. The market is cheaper, fresher and has almost no packaging to fill up the bin either.

A_fiend_for_life

There is certainly far too much packaging and especially on fresh produce. I can't see any need for it plus we have to pay more council tax to have it carted away and a landfill tax for those that can't be recycled.

A lot of the baked stuff in supermarkets is packaged too. My local baker however has none of this thankfully.

There are laws on excessive packaging but it seems poorly enforced if we are still getting a lot of fruit, veg, cakes and bread that is still packaged.

sparrer

happymummy24-7 wrote: »

I just wanted to get accross that i think the supermarkests should tackle over packaging and the only way this would become an issue for them is if we all started leaving it for them to recycle,instead of me having to cart it all home then throw it out anyway!

I take your point happymummy, they just might decide to tackle the maufacturer..let's hope they don't do the opposite and put prices up even more if they've got to do the recycling themselves..

Doom_and_Gloom and C_Ronaldo..re cucumbers - in my local farm shop they're not wrapped in plastic. Perhaps it's worth your a look in yours? hth
Sparrer

princess_loki

wow an ignore button - first time i have used it!!

i completely agree with the fact that so much is over packaged. i take my own re-useable bags to the supermarket with me but get so irritated when the checkout person puts my meat in additonal carrier bags - i have a special bag that i only pack meat in.

completely agree that produce from market is better and no extra packing or paper bags if you want them. i am friendly with the market man and often get freebies thrown in or price rounded down!

i also try and buy meat in bulk from the local butcher when i can get there - lots less packaging!!

unfortunately !!!!! cat will only eat felix roasted pouches and i am constantly irritated that even though they are individually wrapped they come in a really strong cardboard box - really no need for such thick cardboard - i feel a letter of complaint coming on!!

A_fiend_for_life

princess_loki wrote: »

completely agree that produce from market is better and no extra packing or paper bags if you want them. i am friendly with the market man and often get freebies thrown in or price rounded down!

I'd forgotten about the prices being rounded down - the good old days.

Our local green grocer has unfortunately just closed down: they had only been open a year at most. Same thing happened where I used to live, the shop lasted about six months and then closed.

The local grocers have very little but you can get some stuff. So I buy what I can from the local grocers. Getting them to get extra stuff in is challenging though.