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THERE IS A necessary focus at the moment on the amount of plastic waste filling our bins, our landfills and incinerators – and even our oceans. Ireland is the EU’s top producer of plastic waste per inhabitant.
Disposable takeaway cups and now plastic straws have been targeted most recently as wasteful.
With all of this highlighted, particularly in the past six months, has it impacted your consumer habits? Do you try to buy items which have reduced or no packaging?
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Avoiding tescos and M&S is a great start. More packaging than food. Also note, a lot of aldi & Lidl packaging is NOT recyclable.
@john Appleseed: Using local fruit and veg shop as there is less packaging.
I unwrap all unnecessary packaging in the store and leave it there. I also explain to the cashier my reasons for doing this so it will be reported back to the company buying the products. It costs enough buying this unnecessary packaging let alone paying to get rid of it. If everyone did this they just might get the hint when it costs the store more to get rid of it. I do get funny looks, but I also tell those people my reasons and find that they agree with me and sometimes do the same themselves after.
@Julz: I’d hate to be behind you in the line on the big shop day
@Julz: any examples of something you unwrap and if so, what do you do with the barcode?
@Senan Hogan O’Brien: haha. I’m actually not “one of those” people! They drive me nuts too. I open up the packaging as I’m shopping around. When I get to the checkout, I just empty the items loose into my bags putting the packaging aside till I’m done. Some shops provide bins, those that don’t, I’ll ask the cashier to take them and they usually do with no problems. I don’t particularly like shopping so I don’t want to be there any longer than I have to. It can be done.
@Cicero: everything I possibly can. I can’t tolerate items individually wrapped, in another bag and then in a box etc. I open/ loosen the packaging as I’m picking them up so I still have the packaging till I get to the checkout. For hygiene purposes I still have some packaging going home but a whole lot less than I could have. If my children are with me I hand them the items in boxes and they know what to do with them at this stage. I don’t spend any longer at the checkout than anyone else.
@Julz: to be honest there is no way that would ever be reported, do u think a cashier in Tesco is going to tell the supervisor not to mind the company.. to be honest what your doing is ridiculous leaving waste in a store where it might not be segregated, why not bring it home and try segregate it yourself and know it’s been recycled sensibly.. people in the shop aren’t paid enough to start sorting out materials
@: it’s not as ridiculous as you may think. Cashiers in Tesco have reported my issues back. As I said, if more people did it something might be done about it. I also at made my point at Boots chemist when I ordered six twin packs of glucose tablets and they arrived in a box about 40 times the size of the items and a load of paper inside. I also left that packaging with the store. I now get them in much smaller, bubble wrapped bags. Anything’s worth trying. Also, I’m taking it that you’ve never seen how the supermarkets segregate their waste. It’s all done properly, it has to be now. I don’t think it’s very fair to say I’m being ridiculous. As Tesco say, every little helps!
yes, avoiding Tesco, M&S, Dunnes and changing paper towels and tissues for fabric servillets and handkerchiefs as we used to when younger among other habits. We have reduced waste in more han half in the last 2 months. We need more local business selling whole foods fruit,veg in piles that can be grabbed with own cloth bags. Small local bakeries.. and all this with regular prices not gourmet so it,s accessible – less big chains taking over and making the city so impersonal and cold. Small local businesses give a personal service, warm interaction, healthier approach to day to day life. Street market are selling cooked food, not primary ingredients and when they do, the are at gold price. Is this all related to taxes?
Packaging that cannot be recycled should be marked with a large red circle attached by staff at point of sale. This way I wouldn’t even pick up the product. The manufacturer either uses recyclable material or loses sales.
@John Flood: Excellent idea !!!
No cause every thing that was once sold lose is now wrapped in plastic. Very hard to they make things cause they say what the consumer wants. No it cause they only provide and we have but to buy. Yea something’s we may not buy. But in general it pushed on us. And then we are labelled the causer and must be taxed to stopped. Even if go after the corporation’s they just push up the prices. For some it allways win. For us it lose.
When are shops going to install silos and pumps, dispensers etc and shopper brings their own receptacles to refill and reuse come on ffs.
When loading groceries leave unneeded packaging in trolly and leave back in shop ( not in trolly bay)
In my experience M&S and Aldi, while my favourite shops, are worst for excessive packaging.
Aldi in particular seem to have everything wrapped in plastic and then covered in paper/card.
@moneymaid: too true I complained to aldibecause a yoghurt pot was plastic wrapped in cardboard with a label of mixed packaging not currently recycled. Despite you could separate the two easily. Just got some guff back from aldi about how wonderful they were made every effort to reduce packaging repak etc etc .
I make sure that every thing that I buy is packaged as hygiene is very important now days. Who would want to purchase food that has been fondled by other people that may not have handled a bit of soap for quite a while. I have witnessed people walking out of toilets in supermarkets, and as the toilet door was being opened, the toilet was still flushing, I cant see how they could have washed their hands in such a short time as that. So, give me as much packaging as possible, I will gladly pay to get rid of it if it means that the health of myself and my family is not compromised.
Some people have way too much time on their hands!
@Roddy Reagan: reducing waste isn’t hard and takes less time.
@Roddy Reagan: and some people have not nearly enough sense in their heads
Shop mainly in Aldi and Super Valu. Aldi in particular has way too much packaging on stuff and a lot of the packaging they use is not recyclable even though it could be.
Not a chance, if im going down, I’m taking the world with me.
Best is them peeling an orange and then putting it in packaging
When buying trainers, football boots in certain stores, if you ask to leave the box the staff tell you they cannot accept returns without the box. Is this allowed, does anyone know?
Yes but the supermarket’s really don’t make it easy
I don’t know why manufacturers are still allowed to process it. There are alternatives and we could pay a little more. I would be very happy to buy alternative packaging.
What I would really love to see is the super markets take a strong line on plastic wrappings on veg if you buy eggs get boxes you can reuse , glass bottles with an incentive for kids to make a couple of cents . The new logo should be KISS keep it simple stupid.
ALDI atrocious – they even wrap bananas.
Buy your non perishable in bulk out of cash n carry way less packaging and cheaper long term
@William Bayle: I thought only business owners could have a cash and carry card. Are they open to the general public ?
I don’t necessarily refrain from buying goods with less packaging but I would always refuse paper bags when offered in stores , like clothes shops etc.
No, but from now on I will avoid media outlets that constantly shame ne for merely taking up a bit of space and using up a few resources for my previous few decades in a thirteen billion year old universe.
have your say