Lament of the Overpackaged Orange

by Katy on May 10, 2012 · 8 comments

Oh, Japan. . . why must you overpackage everything? And then put it in a plastic bag, which you also tape shut.

Did you not notice that an orange comes with its own thick rind, which works perfectly as built-in packaging?

I’m perfectly fine with less plastic. As is our planet.

Arigato gozaimasu.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Twitter.

Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest.

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

Dogs or Dollars May 10, 2012 at 5:00 am

Its not just Japan, although that is a bit ridiculous.

I wince like nails on a chalk board everytime I see a plastic clamshell full of apples at Trader Joes. If ever there was reason to keep me from shopping there…

Reply

Marcy May 10, 2012 at 11:27 am

I totally agree on this front. Aldi do a similar thing with their fruit and vegetables. I like shopping there as the prices are low, but get frustrated with the redundant packaging that comes with their produce; two broccoli bagged together, corn cobs shucked(!) of *their* natural packaging and then plastic wrapped on a tray, it goes on…urgh.

Reply

Jennifer May 10, 2012 at 7:59 am

ugggh.

Reply

EcoCatLady May 10, 2012 at 2:22 pm

OMG. I’m not sure if I feel better or worse knowing this is not just an American phenomenon.

Reply

Ann May 10, 2012 at 9:02 pm

Hate, hate the clamshell nation! Give me a pile of potatoes to pick which I want! To put in a brown paper bag (if I have forgotten my produce bags)! When I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, tomatoes came packaged in a 5 pack — when I came to LA and saw the piles of fruits and veggies in the pins of every market I was amazed! And now…back to prepackaged. Makes me sad!

Reply

Diane C May 11, 2012 at 6:14 am

Odd how much waste is created in the name of avoiding waste…

Reply

Sara Tetreault May 11, 2012 at 6:55 am

Welcome back, Katy! Sounds like it was a wonderful trip (according to my inside sources 😉 ) and I do hope you’ve recovered from the jet lag. As far as the packaging, I was under the impression that Mother Nature had taken care of it for us – with the peel itself!!

Reply

Linda in Indiana May 11, 2012 at 2:38 pm

Katy, so very glad to have you back safely and know that you had a great trip! It seems that “they”-be it USA or almost everywhere–“they” have begun to pretty much package the packaging. From tiny screws to large tools or razors, etc. But the food packaging is absurd. It certainly doesn’t preserve it and for the life of me, cannot really figure out what practical purpose it serves.

Reply

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post: