Plastic pollution is an environmental crisis, polluting our oceans and waterways, killing marine life and even impacting human health Supermarkets do not reveal how much plastic packaging they generate, making it impossible to see if their efforts to cut plastic are reducing their overall plastic use Loose fruit and vegetables are more expensive than plastic-wrapped […]
I believe it, but like, why? I really want to know what drives that kind of decision.
This is a review of supermarkets, but with regards to the independent grocers I always assumed it was related to quality. The bagged fruits and vegetables tend to be older or less ripe.
I’s thinking for pre-packaged, as in before it gets to the store, it’d be a difference in handling and shelf stocking at the store level.
And plastic would protect from bugs, and humans doing things to the fruit and veg that they don’t actually buy. I’s told by a friend that people will stick their nails into apples, piercing the skin, as some kind of subtle test of the fruit. Maybe thats part of it.
But i dont know. Maybe the grocery stores think think the plastic makes it last longer. Until i read this article last night i thought that was the undisputed case.
I could only quickly find https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/24/plastic-packaging-increases-fresh-food-waste-study-finds for a reference to this wrap study. It mentions
I don’t think this a good selection of items to demonstrate plastic doesn’t extend product shelf life. Personally I actually put a lot of veg in resealable bags to extend how long it lasts. Overall it definitely works for me.
Nice one. Always good to check these sorts of claims further.
i’ve always just assumed it’s a “buy 10 get a discount” situation… but yeah it’s pretty annoying