WYSIWYG

What You See Is What You Get. This is a journal blog, an explore-blog, a bit of this and that blog. Sharing where the mood takes me. Perhaps it will take you too.

MenOoWaC - Bandwagon

Here at the Office of Wellness and Concerns, it has been keenly noted that a popular UK early-evening show has been working very hard to raise awareness regarding the use of plastics. It has caught on, and a number of other news-magazine shows are running with their own versions. One could be cynical and say it makes for an emotive featurette in prime time television, but let's not be snippy and look at the positive effect this is having.

A great many folk are reacting to the message and making changes to their shopping behaviour, or taking up the bamboo reusable coffee cups for example.

Government is responding, albeit slow as treacle, and beginning to alter legislation on packaging.

Supermarket giants are starting to change how they wrap their own-brand produce. Of course, now it has become a bit of a marketing thing of 'we can do it better'... but who cares, if it is leading to less landfill, healthier seas and improved recycling?!

It's the packaging which is the real big bugbear. Food hygiene is important, don't mistake me, but do we really need to have all our fruit and vegetables, for example, in plastic? I say we do not! For those things which do require to be enclosed, cannot there be more paper than plastic? Also, is double packaging absolutely necessary? Those items which have the showbox exterior, then one, or even two layers of plastic wrap inside are overkill, in most cases. Don't even get me started on bubblewrap (seriously, don't); I receive my Ethical Foods orders all comfortably protected by paper mesh...

















No excuse not to use this stuff, right??? Even the Big Cloud Market uses paper buffering.

Preparing this, I found all sorts of crazy descriptions by packaging companies for their product. One of the issues for food which does still (apparently) require to be encased in something, is to make paper goods which hold up - and this entails the continued use of some measure of a plastic coating as things stand at the moment. Given how 'meal-ready' society has become, it is also necessary to ensure the packaging is 'ovenable'. (I kid you not...go read their blurb!)

For non-perishables, this firm in Cumbria is making very positive efforts. I had a little giggle at their film offerings though... how to make moulded packaging sexy...

Ultimately, though, as with everything worthwhile in efforts for change, it will come down to our individual efforts and the resulting 'pool' this provides for others to dip into. Then there are efforts such as this. Even if you do not feel like a leader, you can certainly find someone who IS - it may already be happening in your home area - find out where, what, when and how you can add your bit to it.

Gird your loins, readers, there's more tomorrow!  YAM xx

🙋


16 comments:

  1. I had no idea about the show. I haven't seen too much going on over here about packaging. We have produce bags all around the produce and fruit area those products. The only thing I've noticed is they are trying to do away with the smaller bags in lieu of one size fits all fruit/produce.
    Seriously they larger ones have to be 18" long...long enough for say stalked veggies like greens to fit in nicely. If you put a lemon or apple in a bag that long it can easily become a weapon if swung and let loose.
    Hugs HiC lions girded for tomorrow

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's up to us to figure it out and do it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is such a huge problem. I am seeing local-level changes here but it does not seem as if the large corporations are changing yet. But we can pressure them via our choices. Many local people are doing that - but we live in a bubble of forward-thinking people.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have become more aware of my plastic use and am slowly looking to reduce it. I have washable mess bags for produce (although sometimes I can only get what I need in plastic). I have had grocery bags for years. I am looking for an alternative for meat bought in bulk. I also want to embrace what I saw at the bulk food store, they had jars!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mom says she does her part in having her groceries packed in the big brown paper bags (doubled) and then she reuses them for weeks and weeks until they rip. Our salad bars seem to be moving to paper/cardboard boxes although they don't do so well with the dressing:)

    Woos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber

    ReplyDelete
  6. When we know better, we do better. I think.
    Overpackaging is a horrid issue, as well. At least, here, we mostly take our cloth bags shopping.

    ReplyDelete
  7. We just re-use da grocery store bags for when da peeps scoop da litter box - freecyclin!

    ReplyDelete
  8. We always take reusable shopping bags when we grocery shop

    ReplyDelete
  9. I hear ya... the favorite victim of the mama is gilette and oral b... why a simple razor blade or an itsy bitsy tooth brush needs a ton of plastic wrapping? we should send their trash back to the companies till they will drown in their plastic waste...

    ReplyDelete
  10. There's faaaaar too much plastic around, mostly unnecessary
    Did you see Garner's World last week...even Nigel and Nell are trying to persuade their Dad Monty D to reduce the amount he uses in the garden
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hello, we do use way too much plastic. It is sad to see so much floating in our oceans, the wildlife suffers.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Even in India 'Ban plastics campaign' is going on. The issue can only be resolved when authorities find a viable substitute!

    ReplyDelete
  13. i have been worried over plastic and landfills for years now and it blows my mind that we are filling them with bottles where people buy water, millions of them every day... the only problem with paper wrapping is we have killed all the trees and where will they get the paper products, except by killing the rest of the trees

    ReplyDelete
  14. I miss living where they grow! The farm market I sold my Jam, Jellies and savory stuff at banned plastic! One entrepreneur sold string bags and you would not believe how many tourists would buy them!
    I'm all for string bags!
    BTW, I'm a pagan, but I gave up plastic for Lent.
    Love Barb

    ReplyDelete
  15. I know in both Austin and here in all of California, plastic shopping bags have been banned(except for purchase). I do get annoyed when I see a small product I have ordered online come wrapped in soft plastic and then again in hard plastic....hoping to see an end to that soon!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sometimes we need to make a stand. After all this earth is only loaned to each generation. namaste, janice xx

    ReplyDelete

Inquiry and debate are encouraged.
Be grown-ups, please, and play nice.
🙏