Jeremy Irons and littering packaging in a supermarket

[Seiryuu]

Story here.

I really do not know what Mr. Irons was expecting to do here. Packaging exists for a reason, and leaving it behind is unnecessary work for the employees there which they should not be dealing with. Also, unwrapping all his groceries at the checkout is time-consuming and it prevents the next customer from fully utilising the spot.

Thoughts?

[MommyPenguin]

Wouldn't that be littering?  Or does it not count as littering if it isn't on public grounds?  I'd tell him that he wasn't welcome there anymore if he didn't dispose of his trash.  Sure, less packaging might be a goal for him, but food manufacturing companies need to deal with all of the health requirements and they can't just ditch the packaging.

[MorgnsGrl]

I don't think that's a solution to the problem of excess packaging at ALL, and it creates a different problem.

[Winterlight]

That's a really dumb way to protest. It isn't going to make people rethink packaging, it's going to make them think you're a privileged jerk.

[amylouky]

I'm confused. Say he's buying meat. Does he just unwrap it all and carry hunks of bare meat out in his hands? (since, of course, a grocery bag is packaging..)  Wonder how he deals with liquids?

Either way, yeah, that's a jerk move. The supermarket workers have no control over product packaging, and he's creating extra work for them.

[lowspark]

I'm confused. Say he's buying meat. Does he just unwrap it all and carry hunks of bare meat out in his hands? (since, of course, a grocery bag is packaging..)  Wonder how he deals with liquids?

Either way, yeah, that's a jerk move. The supermarket workers have no control over product packaging, and he's creating extra work for them.

That's just what I was wondering. Does he unwrap his cracker & chips & cookies? How does he carry them home then? And don't they go stale? What about frozen items? Does he remove the packaging from his ice cream? Milk? Does he just cup his hands and carry home his coffee grounds? The whole thing sounds so ridiculous.

[MommyPenguin]

Maybe he brings reusable packing and moves the items into it?  I don't know, but that's a good point.  I was initially thinking that it was like, taking off the plastic wrapper that goes over a box of tea bags.  Which will make the tea not last as long, but probably not a big deal i you're going to use it soon.  And things like that.  But when I think about the groceries I buy, there's very little extra packaging beyond what you need.  I'm wondering if he's doing things like taking the cardboard box off the cereal and just taking home the bag, or if he's going to the extra of doing that, then opening the bag and pouring it into his own container.

[Venus193]

Sounds like he's been a Borgia a little too long.

[Surianne]

I agree with his cause -- excess packaging really bothers me.  But this isn't the way to handle it, and I agree with previous posters that it just puts the problem on the store workers, who have nothing to do with packaging decisions.

What I do is I refuse to buy products that have excess packaging, and I write a letter telling the company why.  For example, I bought store brand peppermint tea from my local grocery store, and when I got home I discovered that each individual tea bag was wrapped in plastic inside the box.  Yuck!  So I emailed them explaining why I wasn't going to buy the tea again, and suggesting that they reduce the packaging, because it was delicious tea and if it weren't for the packaging, I'd be a repeat customer.

No idea if my one letter made a difference, but surely if everyone who was annoyed by packaging contacted the supplying company, they'd take it into consideration?

[JenJay]

I agree with his cause -- excess packaging really bothers me.  But this isn't the way to handle it, and I agree with previous posters that it just puts the problem on the store workers, who have nothing to do with packaging decisions.

What I do is I refuse to buy products that have excess packaging, and I write a letter telling the company why.  For example, I bought store brand peppermint tea from my local grocery store, and when I got home I discovered that each individual tea bag was wrapped in plastic inside the box.  Yuck!  So I emailed them explaining why I wasn't going to buy the tea again, and suggesting that they reduce the packaging, because it was delicious tea and if it weren't for the packaging, I'd be a repeat customer.

No idea if my one letter made a difference, but surely if everyone who was annoyed by packaging contacted the supplying company, they'd take it into consideration?

Exactly! The correct way to try to change something is to take the issue up with the people who have the power to change it, not the people who have no control over the situation but get stuck cleaning up after you.

[Winterlight]

I agree with his cause -- excess packaging really bothers me.  But this isn't the way to handle it, and I agree with previous posters that it just puts the problem on the store workers, who have nothing to do with packaging decisions.

What I do is I refuse to buy products that have excess packaging, and I write a letter telling the company why.  For example, I bought store brand peppermint tea from my local grocery store, and when I got home I discovered that each individual tea bag was wrapped in plastic inside the box.  Yuck!  So I emailed them explaining why I wasn't going to buy the tea again, and suggesting that they reduce the packaging, because it was delicious tea and if it weren't for the packaging, I'd be a repeat customer.

No idea if my one letter made a difference, but surely if everyone who was annoyed by packaging contacted the supplying company, they'd take it into consideration?

This is a much more practical way to handle it than by leaving little wrapping shreds around and sticking people with no control over the process with a cleanup job.

[Venus193]

There are times, though, that one can take this too far.

A friend of mine screams about plastic wrap being bad for the environment.  She didn't keep plastic containers or buy plastic wrap.  If she buys something in a butcher shop or a deli she asks about wax paper.

However, when I help with her parties I have to have plastic wrap for plates of deviled eggs.  On St Patrick's Day I used the Glad-type 24 oz containers for the potato toppings.  Since they're rectangular they waste less space in the refrigerator for storing leftovers.  Recycle the round/cylindrical ones from the Chinese takeout and use the square/rectangular ones.

[katycoo]

My issue is that removing the packaging after purchase is pointless.  The company who you're protesting against is still getting your sale.  This won't make them care at all.  And the supermarkets aren't going to boycott the product because otherwise they'll have nothing to sell.

[DottyG]

That's a really dumb way to protest. It isn't going to make people rethink packaging, it's going to make them think you're a privileged jerk.

Exactly my thought when I read the story.

[Surianne]

There are times, though, that one can take this too far.

A friend of mine screams about plastic wrap being bad for the environment.  She didn't keep plastic containers or buy plastic wrap.  If she buys something in a butcher shop or a deli she asks about wax paper.

However, when I help with her parties I have to have plastic wrap for plates of deviled eggs.  On St Patrick's Day I used the Glad-type 24 oz containers for the potato toppings.  Since they're rectangular they waste less space in the refrigerator for storing leftovers.  Recycle the round/cylindrical ones from the Chinese takeout and use the square/rectangular ones.

I'm confused by this post -- why is it wrong for her to not buy plastic wrap, or to ask about waxed paper if she buys something in a deli?  Those both seem like reasonable steps to take, to me. 

Do you mean that she's asking you to help with parties but dictating that you can't use plastic wrap for the deviled eggs? 

I so I think it's perfectly reasonable for you to say "I'm sorry, but I can only supply X food if I can use plastic wrap   If you want to avoid plastic wrap you'll have to find X food another way."