A few days ago, I popped to our local little shop to buy a few things: bread, butter, milk. I went to where the butter should be. No butter. I scanned carefully along the shelf: no butter. I scanned even more carefully and then noticed the above. This is a sign of the times and I don't like it. Things that used to be sold wrapped in something relatively benign (greaseproof paper, metal, whatever) are now sold in plastic. This includes butter, soap, toothpaste and more. Before long, if things carry on the way they are, almost everything will come covered in plastic.
Not only do these things not need to be plasticized, the plastic packaging actually costs more to make (both financially and environmentally) and the cost is passed onto us, the consumers. Then it has to be disposed of, which means it goes into a landfill. The reasons these things are covered in plastic is because they are easier to stack and because the shelf-life is longer. The pros are all the manufacturer's, and the cons are all the consumer's.
On this occasion I bought it, but next time I won't. We are being slowly buried under plastic crap and unless we start digging soon it will be too late.
Tom.
epistemological-savagery
GBHs...XXX
xx
too right. i'd be interested to know how much influence the major plastic companies have with people like lurpak and anchor. im sure the entire thing is horribly incestious (sp?).
i also couldnt help but suppress a small giggle when i was told earlier by the news that oxo cubes will be x shaped from now on to ease crumbling.
a more shameful marketing ploy i have yet to see...