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March 29, 2024, 05:13:12 am

Author Topic: Bringing reuseable containers to the shops  (Read 1318 times)  Share 

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PhoenixxFire

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Bringing reuseable containers to the shops
« on: January 10, 2019, 04:34:48 pm »
+3
I don’t really think there’s much of a discussion to be had about this - but I find it really interesting to think about so I wanted to share.

I was just reading this article. If you can’t be bothered reading it, it’s about the growing number of people who bring reuseable containers to the shops - so instead of getting their meat or cheese in a plastic bag from the deli or butchers they’ll get it in the box.

I work in the deli at woolies and it’s something that’s happened a bit here. People most frequently bring their containers for us to put olives in - which works fine. But people also bring containers for other things. I was recently given a container to put chicken in, on the surface it seems fine but what people don’t seem to consider is if it will actually reduce waste.

For chicken what I would normally do is flip a bag inside out and use it to pick up the chicken. So total plastic use (excluding the bag the chicken came in etc.) is one thin plastic bag. Instead the only option that I had to put the chicken in the box was a glove - a plastic glove. So really the amount of plastic used in either scenario isn’t really any different.

The person buying the food feels like they’re doing something good by bringing the reuseable container - but really their effort here made no difference to their plastic use.

You might have noticed that there’s not any particular point to this post. I just find it really interesting that’s there’s clearly people willing to try and reduce their plastic use, but that people either don’t know how to do it effectively or just don’t consider the plastic used to get the product to them.

I don’t say this to discourage anyone from bringing reuseable containers haha - it works great for some products, and I know some shops (particularly independent delis/butchers) are great at using tongs etc so they don’t use plastic. I just think it’s really interesting that there’s almost no attention given to this sort of thing, it seems everyone is too busy focusing on what waste they end up with (eg. excessive plastic packaging etc) and not so much on what waste is generated in the process.

Note: I wasn’t really sure where to put this, was going to put it in news but here seemed a bit more appropriate but still not quite right.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2019, 04:54:01 pm by PhoenixxFire »
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Bri MT

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Re: Bringing reuseable containers to the shops
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2019, 05:25:18 pm »
+6
Would the glove be less plastic than the bag do you think? Maybe that's the rational?


On the more rantish side:

I find those free plastic bags people put their produce in extremely irritating - especially when used to bag a banana. In this case, I really wish that if people felt the need to container the produce (fair enough - who wants snow peas spilling all over the trolley) that they'd bring a reusable bag or container.

It's not so much that I'm angry at individuals that do this, as being frustrated at a system where that's the default path facilitated by stores (where I live anyway, I've noticed that stores along the great ocean road, for example, are different). How hard would it be for supermarkets to take even the small step of selling reusable bags in their stores? Or having pamphlets showing how to make your own?

As you've pointed out, pf, even if consumer and employee are environmentally conscious it can be difficult for that to make much difference when the built environment doesn't facilitate better choices.

PhoenixxFire

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Re: Bringing reuseable containers to the shops
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2019, 06:16:01 pm »
+3
Would the glove be less plastic than the bag do you think? Maybe that's the rational?
I wouldn't think so. The gloves are far thicker plastic than the bags - I'd say it's more likely that there's actually more plastic in the glove than the bag.

On the more rantish side:

I find those free plastic bags people put their produce in extremely irritating - especially when used to bag a banana. In this case, I really wish that if people felt the need to container the produce (fair enough - who wants snow peas spilling all over the trolley) that they'd bring a reusable bag or container.

It's not so much that I'm angry at individuals that do this, as being frustrated at a system where that's the default path facilitated by stores (where I live anyway, I've noticed that stores along the great ocean road, for example, are different). How hard would it be for supermarkets to take even the small step of selling reusable bags in their stores? Or having pamphlets showing how to make your own?

As you've pointed out, pf, even if consumer and employee are environmentally conscious it can be difficult for that to make much difference when the built environment doesn't facilitate better choices.
Definitely agree that it's a problem with the system. I bought my mum some reusable produce bags because I hate seeing all the plastic we go through and they weren't particularly easy to find and were fairly expensive - definitely nowhere near as accessible as reusable shopping bags, and they won't be unless they start being mass produced.
2019: B. Environment and Sustainability/B. Science @ ANU
2020: Just Vibing
2021: B. Paramedicine/B. Nursing @ ACU Canberra