How can we the consumers put pressure on companies to stop producing so much packaging?

Question

Practically everything you buy now from fresh meat to small household electrical goods is vacuum packed, boxed, shrink wrapped and enveloped in polystyrene. This packaging depletes the earths natural resouces and causes us major problems with it's disposal. Plastics in particular take years to degrade and not all are suitable for recycling. I understand goods in transit need to be protected but the problem of waste disposal seems to be spiraling out of control. What can we as consumers to curb this growth?

Yes pressure on supermarkets is maybe the way forward as they can force their suppliers to reduce packaging by not renewing contacts. You are misinformed Grizzbr1, No one wants all this packaging, we simply do not have a choice!

Answer 1

Besides boycotting the products and getting others to boycott overly-packaged products and letting the companies know that you are doing that, there is not much else you can do.

We live in a consumer society and people want instant gratification. Many goods are now available in "single packs," thus adding to the problem. Start your own lobbying group, non-profit or website. If you are able to create enough noise and gather enough support, then you might notice a difference.

Answer 2

Haggisbasher, cool name!

Jimbobarino, Haggisbasher has hit the nail on the head here.

Complain to the companies and lobby your politicians. Here in Europe there are a number of countries who place the onus on the seller to dispose of the packaging, rather than the purchaser, who would otherwise pay to dispose of it through taxation. For example if you buy a TV from Shop A, take it home, unpack it and cart all that polysterene, etc back to the shop and ask them to get rid of it for you. You will soon find that when the companies themselves have to deal with it there will be some innovative solutions, and at the worst the recycling system will become more streamlined and efficient as they try to reduce costs of disposal.

Answer 3

So you want to go shopping everyday do you? a lot of modern packaging is there to keep food fresh on the shelves for longer, but hey just because a few tree huggers have got all arsey about packaging then we'll all go shopping every day because shelf lives have just tumbled, and use cars more to get there - the enviro mentals haven't really thought this one through have they? nothing new there then. We''l put maybe 10-20% less shite into landfills and maybe use 20% more petrol to go shopping more often.

Besides, the supermarkets demand it, they are the ones that drive packaging - not the suppliers - they just pay for it, but all you tree huggers knew that didn't you? no didn't think so.

Answer 4

Hit them where it hurts the most . . . in the pocketbook. Don't buy prepackaged products. Buy your vegetables by the piece and your meats by the cut. Buy your cereal in bulk and use recycleable bags at the grocerie stores (bring a cloth bag from home).

Unfortunately, most people will not follow this routine as it means more work for them. So, I'm afraid that this tactic will have little impact on these industries.

The other tactic that could work better would be to pass laws that charge companies BY THE OUNCE for packaging and NOT LET THEM PASS THIS COST ON TO CUSTOMERS! Fat chance of that happening either!

Oh, well, I guess we can attack the problem from the landfill side. Start charging companies a "land fill tax" for all the packaging that we throw away . .. AGAIN, DON'T LET THEM PASS THE COST ON TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.

What we really need are legislators with a backbone!

EARTH/SPACE TEACHER

Answer 5

Any un-necessary packaging on goods that I buy from a super-market, I save and return to them the next time I visit the supermarket. After weeks of doing this, they have become very annoyed with me, at first they thought it funny now they don`t. They just dump it in with their general rubbish. I think that this has not really done much good, as far as any package reduction is concerned, about all it has achieved is that they call me " That weird eco-warrior woman". I have tried sending it back to the manufactures, but have mainly had a "Dear Madam, we thank you for your communication " letter from them. No-body cares!

Answer 6

Well, this might sound mad, but it will work if we all start doing it. When you purchase something, and it has more wrapping than an xmas present, take the packing off in the shop, and leave it with them...you get some funny looks, but if we all did it, the shops would feed it back......and when you are asked if you want a bag, say no!

Answer 7

Can you give me a good example of too much packaging? You must consider the entire distribution chain, not just the end comsumer in this analysis. Most packaging has a purpose otherwise the manufacturer, distributor, or shipper would not pay for it.

Answer 8

Stop buying things in packaging, buy bulk, buy larger cuts of meat, use reusable packaging rather than plastic wrap, put cardboard and plastic out with the recycleables.

Why do you think the companies have to take responsibility for your actions? You can take action directly to reduce packaging.

Answer 9

As well as writeing to manufacturers, i have started taking off any wrapping that is excessive and leaveing it with the checkout staff! i have been doing this for a while at my local conviniance store and they have started to reduce there own packageing! i also do this at the supermarket but they would take more notice if more people did it!

Answer 10

Leave all the packaging you don't need at the till for the supermarket to deal with like cyber_chick07 and David r.