Ban on plastic fruit and veg packs

[Anonymous]

So France and other European countries are banning the use of plastic packaging on most fruit and veg. Sounds sensible but I guess it depends on what they replace it with (unintended consequences?). Could this sort of measure ever be introduced here? I guess it would be vigorously opposed by industry groups even if consumers were fine with the idea.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59843697

[Anonymous]

I would LOVE to see this here.

[Anonymous]

As usual, we will be years behind Europe on sensible initiatives such as these. We are a wasteful people who are addicted to plastic in all forms, to-go containers of all kinds, and “perfect” produce encased in plastic, and we don’t like any restrictions placed on our consumption habits.

[Anonymous]

Hopefully the rules will result in better packaging options. I see that the bags that trader Joes has out to put in veggies, fruit or meat into are soy based and are compostable. I would think more things like that will be developed.

[Anonymous]

The reason protective plastics are used is that without them, there would be damage, spoiling, and waste of the underlying good. From a cost/benefit analysis point of view, there needs to be a study to see whether the additional loss of goods and products due to lack of protective plastic, justifies banning the protective plastic. Are consumers willing to purchase wilted lettuce, marred apples, and smooshed figs? There is a balance that needs to be maintained.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hopefully the rules will result in better packaging options. I see that the bags that trader Joes has out to put in veggies, fruit or meat into are soy based and are compostable. I would think more things like that will be developed.

LOL, EU has already banned bags that are marketed as compostable. There is no consistent standard here for the industry to use.

[Anonymous]

The biggest issue here, by far, is takeout packaging. No other country does takeout - and takeout packaging - the way America does. We need to address that first.

[Anonymous]

Europeans generally get their produce from the fruit or veggie guy/girl on market days. They are not typically shopping in mega grocery stores for produce.

Europeans also favor eating produce that is local and in season. They don't expect to have produce shipped in off season from half way around the world.

Europeans have brought their own baskets and bags for shopping for decades.

[Anonymous]

Germans are lightyears ahead of us when it comes to packaging and concern for the environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Europeans generally get their produce from the fruit or veggie guy/girl on market days. They are not typically shopping in mega grocery stores for produce.

Europeans also favor eating produce that is local and in season. They don't expect to have produce shipped in off season from half way around the world.

Europeans have brought their own baskets and bags for shopping for decades.

Yup, and this is the case in all the developing world as well. We’re the outlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The reason protective plastics are used is that without them, there would be damage, spoiling, and waste of the underlying good. From a cost/benefit analysis point of view, there needs to be a study to see whether the additional loss of goods and products due to lack of protective plastic, justifies banning the protective plastic. Are consumers willing to purchase wilted lettuce, marred apples, and smooshed figs? There is a balance that needs to be maintained.

This is a good point. It would be interesting if somebody produced a report on which fresh fruit and veg produce the most wastage in supermarkets due to produce having to be thrown out. I imagine half the avocados must get thrown away. Sometimes, the entire bin of avos are already too soft. The wastage that occurs with fresh produce is probably a good argument for freezing vegetables but I suppose you would have to figure out the resource use in freezing, storing and transporting frozen stuff with minimal waste in the supermarket versus the less resource intensive production of fresh plus very high wastage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reason protective plastics are used is that without them, there would be damage, spoiling, and waste of the underlying good. From a cost/benefit analysis point of view, there needs to be a study to see whether the additional loss of goods and products due to lack of protective plastic, justifies banning the protective plastic. Are consumers willing to purchase wilted lettuce, marred apples, and smooshed figs? There is a balance that needs to be maintained.

This is a good point. It would be interesting if somebody produced a report on which fresh fruit and veg produce the most wastage in supermarkets due to produce having to be thrown out. I imagine half the avocados must get thrown away. Sometimes, the entire bin of avos are already too soft. The wastage that occurs with fresh produce is probably a good argument for freezing vegetables but I suppose you would have to figure out the resource use in freezing, storing and transporting frozen stuff with minimal waste in the supermarket versus the less resource intensive production of fresh plus very high wastage.

avacados probably shouldn’t be transported to Europe anyway. Too much environmental impact.

[Anonymous]

Hope we do this here too. I have never understood all the plastic packaging for fruit and veg unless they are delicate (like berries.)

[Anonymous]

And now the Radical Left Democrat potty
Wants to take away your fruits and your vegetables.
Your delicious fruits and vegetables,
They wanna take ‘em away. They do.

Just like they stole an election,
Now they wanna take away your fresh fruits,
And those wonderful vegetables,
And it’s a disgrace, a complete disgrace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Germans are lightyears ahead of us when it comes to packaging and concern for the environment.

Germans are ultra anti environment for shutting down nuclear capacity.

I never want to hear Germans being equated to being green.