Serious question, why is there so much plastic packaging on everything I buy?

I just got a small item delivered, and it was wrapped in three layers of plastic. This seems wasteful and bad for the planet, but companies say it protects the product. Is it ethical for businesses to use so much plastic when we know it harms the environment?

4 comments

4 Comments

cora5182mo ago

Spencer says "at what cost to the planet" but broken products are waste too. That plastic stops things from getting smashed in shipping, which means less returns and thrown out junk. Sometimes the protection is the point.

spencer_owens582mo ago

Feel your pain on this one. It drives me crazy how everything is sealed in plastic now. Sure, it might protect the product (like they say), but at what cost to the planet? We all see the trash piling up, and it just feels wrong. Maybe companies should try harder to use less packaging or find better materials.

ray_martinez822mo ago

Totally get the 'trash piling up' thing. Last month I ordered a tiny USB drive, and it came in a box big enough for a shoe. Had to cut through three layers of plastic wrap just to get to it. Felt like I was opening a fort knox safe for no reason. All that junk went straight to the bin, and I just stood there staring at the pile. Makes you wonder if they even try to match the package to the product size.

the_lee2mo ago

Three layers of plastic wrap? That's insane.