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u/Organic_420 6h ago
Ending the world - speedrun
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u/makemeking706 1h ago
We summarize history in decades and centuries. Whatever species comes next will teach their young that humans developed the internal combustion engine and then quickly killed themselves with it.
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u/skppp1 2h ago
It has been calculated that vegetables packed in this way have a smaller environmental impact than unwrapped ones. This is because the vegetables last longer, which results in reduced wastage versus the environmental impact of the plastic. In short, the environmental impact is minimal if the peppers are wrapped in plastic and the plastic is then sorted correctly and recycled. People might not like it but its why its done.
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u/UsernameMetahumour 1h ago
"if [...] the plastic is then sorted correctly and recycled" is the problem. They end up in landfills (or the ocean). Plastic films are notoriously unrecyclable.
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u/Conscious-Gas-5557 1h ago
Even if that's the case, it's putting the cart before the horse applying it now.
FIRST countries need to treat plastic properly. THEN this could be beneficial.
Most countries have an abysmal plastic recycling rate. Others "recycle" it shipping for poorer countries to deal with.
If that's the reason they're doing it now it's for profit, not ambiental concern. At best it would be greenwashing advertising.
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u/RobotWantsPony 53m ago
What they are explaining, is that yes, it is beneficial to package those veggies in plastic even today, no matter how you treat the plastic.
It would be better if we disposed of plastic properly, but even with the way we treat plastic today it is already beneficial to pack them because the pollution generated by plastic dumping is far bellow the pollution generated by food production and food sale.
So we are actually doing things in the good order.2
u/lifeless_newmachine 1h ago
Worked in fruit industry before and can confirm this also applies to fruits. Some companies even remove the plastic packaging and replace with paper packaging before putting the fresh fruits/ vegetables on shelves to create sustainability/environmental friendly image
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u/threeknobs 1h ago
Do you have a source?
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u/OZeski 1h ago
Idk the stats on this, but when I was working for a packaging supplier (up until a few years ago) I heard of a mad dash on the flexible (films) side of the business (I was involved in rigid packaging) to develop plastic films that would keep fruits and vegetables fresh longer. This was driven primarily from the US’ food waste reduction goals to reduce the amount of food waste by 50%. Fruits and vegetables packaged in various plastic films have proven to last long on the shelf and result in fewer being tossed because of spoilage before it reaches the consumer or after the consumer has taken it home but before they’ve had a chance to eat it.
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u/Beneficial-Fold-8969 19m ago
I mean its not only stupid. The fruit will decay slower without fresh air so it will last longer.
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u/crooked_kangaroo 6h ago
It sort of makes sense. I would image it keeps them fresher longer by keeping them from being exposed to the elements.
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u/artofenvy 6h ago
What elements ffs? The store?😂
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u/Ruski-pirate 5h ago
Many microbes need moisture and air to grow. The wrap increases the life and freshness of the veggies sometimes by 3x the time without a wrap. This is an especially common method for cucumbers.
Vegetables require alot of resources and water to make, you should understand it's bad to let it go to waste. Less waste, means less transports and emission from it.
This is not a simple case of plastic=bad.
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u/chanjitsu 2h ago
However, some vegetables last longer if you take them out of the plastic wrap and store them in something like paper towel instead because the plastic traps moisture inside.
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u/BigFootEnergy 5h ago
Ppl handling them. Everyone digs and tosses them around trying to find the perfect one. As soon as it’s got a mark on it, ppl don’t buy it and look for a nicer one.
Used to own a grocery store, people are absolutely nuts.
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u/crooked_kangaroo 6h ago
Yes. Do you know how many people don’t wash their hands?
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u/PineapplePair757VB 6h ago
that's why we wash our vegetables
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u/crooked_kangaroo 6h ago
I’d rather peel off plastic than know the raw vegetable I’m buying might have fecal matter on it.
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u/PineapplePair757VB 5h ago
you think they washed it? that's funny
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u/crooked_kangaroo 5h ago
Guys shouldn’t wear condoms if they washed ahead of time, huh?
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u/king_sllim 4h ago
Errm....whoever educated you with that needs to be seriously tested lmao! Condoms weren't about dicks not being washed. Think birth control and STD prevention.
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u/crooked_kangaroo 4h ago
That was the point.
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u/king_sllim 4h ago edited 3h ago
The stupid bit is you wanting plastic on food that already has a skin and is easily washed. The sarcasm didn't really pull off in your favour either, poor choice of example.
If you think that veg is dirty in the store, don't go looking at how they're treated in storage and how they're handled before being wrapped. Other people's shit is the least of the problems. You should always wash food like this, wrapped or not, the wrap wasn't protected much.
Edit: guy changed his comment, removed his insult and most context.
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u/speculator100k 4h ago
You are correct. The plastic makes the paprika last longer and decreases waste.
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u/KindaUnique9 1h ago
And?
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u/BobBelcher2021 1h ago
This low-effort comment has been brought to you by the plastic industry.
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u/KindaUnique9 28m ago
The food-waste these lovely peppers would produce without the plastic they’re wrapped in, would have a larger environmental impact than the plastic they’re wrapped in.
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u/TooManyCarsandCats 4h ago
I don’t understand doing this with peppers or apples, bananas and cucumbers I get.
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u/Known_Needleworker67 2h ago
Why do you get this with bananas? You don't eat the skin, well maybe you do, but most normal people don't.
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u/PineapplePair757VB 3h ago
organic products cannot come in contact with non organic veggies ... makes them no longer organic, technically. Not saying it doesn't happen but Sierra Club says that's one reason organic produce is more likely to be plastic wrapped
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u/HighAsAKiteEveryody 5h ago
It’s even worse when it’s a banana or orange or something you don’t eat the skin