Plastic Wrapped: Escaping the Grocery Store Plastic Trap
A few weeks ago, I went to the supermarket, and I took a few minutes to play a game: spot the items without plastic. Everywhere I turned, something was wrapped, sealed, or bagged in it. Even produce that already comes with its own natural protection—like oranges or avocados—was sitting in plastic trays or shrink-wrapped sleeves. Here are a few photos I took:
What if I tried to shop without buying any plastic at all? Maybe I’d walk out with a few loose fruits, potatoes, and an onion, but beyond that, the options were painfully limited. I felt frustrated and powerless. Oh, and hungry. Guess my lunch is going to be some raw broccoli, raw zucchini, and an apple (Yes, that’s what I ate for lunch that day).
If you’re reading this, I probably don’t have to bother telling you: plastic pollution is a global crisis. We’ve seen the images of beaches littered with Coke bottles, rivers clogged with bags, wildlife caught in discarded packaging. And it’s not just about “saving the planet”, it affects us. Microplastics are now found in our drinking water, our food, even our bodies. Studies have linked plastic chemicals to hormone disruption, fertility issues, and other serious health concerns. Where does that plastic come from?
Us.
We all throw it away (read: move it from your home to somewhere in nature via a garbage truck) every single day.
Don’t forget: plastic is oil. We are literally wrapping our food in fossil fuels. Gross. When you stop to think about that, it’s unsettling—our fruits, vegetables, and bread, encased in the very material driving climate change and polluting our bodies at the same time.
I’ll say it again for emphasis: we’re wrapping our food in the stuff we know is making us sick.
It’s easy to point the finger at companies, and they do carry some blame. They’re profiting at our expense. But they’re only responding to what’s profitable. If wrapping everything in plastic makes sense for their bottom line—and we keep buying it—they’ll keep doing it. Businesses follow demand. It doesn’t excuse them, but understanding that is step 1 in understanding where we have power to influence them.
When we choose the unpackaged produce, when we bring our own bags, when we support stores that make an effort to cut waste—that’s us voting with our wallets. Culture shifts slowly, over decades, but it does shift. Companies won’t change first; they’ll change because we do.
So maybe the real question isn’t “Why won’t companies stop using so much plastic?” but “How can we change our habits and expectations so they have no choice?” Profit follows culture—and culture is built on our everyday choices.
I’ll leave you with a few things you can do to make a difference:
- Choose loose produce whenever possible instead of pre-packaged (Try farmer’s markets!).
- Bring your own bags and containers—try to find places that sell some things you make regularly in bulk (like beans or oatmeal)
- Support local farmer’s markets or stores that offer low-waste options, even if it means spending a little more sometimes.
No single grocery trip will solve the plastic problem, but every choice is a signal. And the more signals we send, the sooner companies will follow where culture is already heading.
