Page 36 - Alice Collins

Problem Noted

fruits
loose
plastic in food packaging
The use of plastic in food packaging, mainly in fruits. If they are not in punnets, they are either loose and
polyethylene plastic bags
susceptible to damage and bruising, or packed in polyethylene plastic bags. It is difficult to tell when the
fruit may or may not be bruised, as it may look perfectly fine upon purchase. Some may come with a sticker
sticker
wrapped around them
wrapped around them, but all three packaging methods leave them vulnerable. Perhaps there is a more
safer from bruising
environmentally friendly alternative way of packaging these foods, while keeping them safer from bruising and
environmentally friendly
reducing the amount of plastic material wastage.
damage. This could also be done by reducing the amount of plastic material wastage.

Impact

The use of plastic in these foods packaging causes a build-up in homes of single use plastic bags, and leads to
single use plastic bags
build-up
the food itself becoming damaged, thus more likely to be discarded quicker. This also occurs within the shops in
damaged
food
discarded quicker.
which they are sold, as the foods are often being handled by multiple customers daily.

Why the issue is important

This issue is important as it is not only involving the wastage of fresh food, but also the wastage of plastic
wastage of plastic
wastage of fresh food
solving two problems
packaging.
packaging. Whilst two entities are being wasted at the one time, it would be solving two problems if the
packaging of these foods were altered reduce food wastage and protect the food
packaging of these foods were altered somehow to reduce food wastage and protect the food, all while using
the packaging made out of a crude material, or more sustainable and environmentally friendly material.
packaging made out of a crude material