Comments on: Organic food in plastic packaging: Isn’t it ironic?

By: Kitchen Stewardship

Kitchen Stewardship — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:42:37 +0000

I'm totally with you on that one. I probably alienated Stonyfield Farms forever by giving Yobaby yogurt a negative review, much because of their no. 6 containers: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/07/02/yobaby-organic-yogurt-product-reviewand-giveaway/ And check out the link to the plastic reuse company(such a cool idea!) in this post: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/07/13/monday-mission-targeting-plastic-bags/ Sorry to toot my own horn, but I'm passionate about plastics too!

By: Anna (Green Talk)

Anna (Green Talk) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:54:10 +0000

Beth, you brought up a really important point. Why shouldn't the packaging matter when an organic label is put on the product? I did not know about Muir Glen, who I love their tomatoes used BPA in their lining.

Why can't Stonyfield use glass containers for their yogurt like baby food?

Plastic and organic are odd bed fellows.

By: Lisa Sharp

Lisa Sharp — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:01:51 +0000

I have never understood why organic produce is almost always in plastic! I was so happy to find organic grapes (from the US!) with no plastic at Whole Foods. It was so exciting for me to put those grapes in my cloth bag.

By: Mindful Momma

Mindful Momma — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:56:59 +0000

Another great post about a controversial topic…fun reading all the comments too.

BTW – my TJ's switched to bulk for some fruits & veggies. Still lots of room for improvement though.

(That pet store spam comment cracked me up – the nerve!!)

By: Joost Hoogstrate

Joost Hoogstrate — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:38:30 +0000

Thanks Beth, for that eye-opening revelation. Yes we are so particular about what ingredients go into our food stuff, but we don’t really care much about what our food stuff goes into. Organic food in inorganic plastic containers is certainly ironic and http://climatarians.org also mentions this topic. A great point that you’ve brought out there. Keep you posts coming.

Great work

Joost Hoogstrate

By: Fake Plastic Fish

Fake Plastic Fish — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:57:59 +0000

Really, Abagale? You think this blog is about pet fish? Well, I won't argue with a link. But seriously?

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By: Condo Blues

Condo Blues — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:01:26 +0000

I'm with Maggie. WhenI come acrossed plastic shrink wrapped organic veggies vs. loose non organic veggies I opt for the loose veggies. This is more of an issue during the winter when I have buy everything at a grocery store. During the summer, I shop at a local farm market. It may not be organic, but I can talk to the framer how he grew it - and I have to supply my own bags!

Clif - 2 good things came out of the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire. 1. It convinced Congress to pass the Clean Water Act of 1972 and form the EPA 2. Great Lakes Brewing Company named their pale ale Burning River Pale Ale w/ a rendering of the River on fire on the label. All of their beers reference something about Cleveland and even through their pale ale has a cheeky name, they are an enviro-minded company. All of their spent brewers grain is used as compost to grow items for their brewpub at Hale Farm & Village's (living history center)Pint Size Farm.

Actually it is amazing and interesting that the Cuyahoga River is coming back much sooner than anticipated. Although it's still dangerous to eat the fish that live in the river.

By: Clif

Clif — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:34:13 +0000

Emily - I'm reminded of the auto parts repair place I pass when out walking. As often as not there is an entire front or rear plastic bumper from a car thrown in their dumpster, sometimes with only a small piece broken off. There is more plastic in one of those bumpers than would be used to encase millions of food items (granted not the same kind of plastic).

The difficulty we face is in getting the option to not use plastic. I doubt we'd ever be able to get car makers to stop making bumpers of the stuff but there is a good chance that grocery shoppers could prevail on grocers to lay off the wrapping. Another factor is that a car bumper will sit in a landfill for centuries in one big mostly inert lump. Small amounts of plastic like we get in the mail and on groceries are what spread from here to the moon and get into everything.

It's a simple thing to go to the store manager and ask why everything must be in plastic and to fill out those little customer satisfaction cards. Little bitty steps, as you mention, can have an effect since grocers are always looking for ways to get a leg up on the competition.

By the way, I have to laugh at the dispensers of antibacterial wipes at the entry of groceries. People carefully wipe the handles of their shopping carts to kill germs and then go in to pick items off the shelves that have been handled so many times by so many people. God help these folks when they go to open their car door and have to touch the handle!

I think it has been well said that a man's first emotional reaction is often anger and a woman's, fear.

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:15:23 +0000

All of the organic veggies at my local chain store are wrapped in plastic but put on a compostable tray – I suppose that is worlds better than foam. Especially for someone who will compost the compostable tray.
I wonder why they need to put them in trays and wrap them with plastic at all – if the store is afraid that the checker will not notice the organic skew and charge you for conventional…?
My feeling is – and please don't throw rotten tomatoes at me – that we need to put our money where the good is happening… even if they aren't entirely perfect. Ultimately our society needs to move to avoidance of plastic however most people are not even remotely there nor is the infrastructure – the most good will be done with the masses supporting small steps. Like organic produce in a compostable tray… even if it is covered in plastic wrap. That's my personal opinion.