I'm baffled by the plastic packaging at US supermarkets
Seeing bell peppers and bananas individually wrapped in plastic at a California supermarket prompts reflection on the disconnect between environmental slogans and actual behavior.
In a California supermarket, I saw this scene: bell peppers and bananas on the shelves, each individually wrapped in plastic film.
Next to it, a sign read: 'Let's reduce plastic use together.'

These individually packaged bananas reminded me of a similar scene I saw in a Beijing supermarket several years ago. The difference was that in Beijing, bananas were at least sold in bunches, whereas here they have 'evolved' to single-packaging.
The packaging for the bell peppers was even more confusing. Why add an extra layer of plastic to a vegetable that already has a natural protective layer? A supermarket employee said it was 'to keep them fresh,' but the loose bell peppers right next to them looked no different.
This kind of excessive packaging in US supermarkets is not an isolated case. According to environmental organizations, the per capita plastic packaging waste in the United States is more than double that of European countries. Ironically, California's environmental regulations are the strictest in the country.
Once, I asked a cashier why they do this packaging, and she just shrugged and said, 'It's company policy.' She probably thought it was ridiculous, too.
A friend in the packaging industry told me that this 'single-item packaging' reduces transportation damage and extends shelf life. But from a consumer's perspective, this minor convenience comes at too high a price.
Looking at those bananas tightly wrapped in plastic, I wonder: have we become accustomed to this unnecessary 'protection'? When environmental slogans and actual practices are in sharp contrast, which one should we believe?
发布时间: 2025-10-07 21:38