The 11 most superfluous plastic food packaging

You are looking for the most absurd plastic packaging for food to draw attention to the plastic packaging madness? Then you'll find what you're looking for in this article. I'll show you pretty much the most unnecessary products that exist or existed on the global markets. Products for which the respective manufacturers will surely go to hell. From Coke bottles in plastic bags to pre-cut apples in plastic packaging. Finally, you get a valuable tip to prevent such products in the future. Let's go!

Cola from plastic bag

Heard right and seen right. You don't just get this cola in the plastic bottle or the can, no: you also get it in the plastic bag. Our reader Alex came across this unnecessary plastic packaging while on vacation in Sardinia. One question remains forever unanswered: What purpose did the product developers see behind the plastic bag around the cola? Apparently, it's not enough that plastic bottles are left all over the world's beaches. In this case, the plastic bag is added to the mix.

Two eggs in the plastic bowl

This is my prime example at every lecture on the subject of plastic consumption: two peeled eggs in plastic packaging for the price of 1.50€. In the cardboard box, you get two eggs for an average of €0.30. For the Vorschälen and the plastic packing the customer pays thus simply times scarcely 1,20€ more. This price usury for a ridiculous product has meant a big shitstorm for the manufacturer. The picture went around the world and has fortunately made many people aware of the problem with plastic packaging. Here you can go directly to the corresponding Facebook post.

Coconuts in plastic packaging

A coconut is so hard to crack. Why is that? Exactly, because it has a natural shell! The product developers of these coconuts don't seem to have understood that. Or what's the point of the plastic wrap around the hairy shell? Our reader Philipp sent us this picture that he took in Barcelona. Another example of crazy products in plastic packaging. Here you can find the matching Facebook post to it. Coconuts are often accompanied by plastic straws, which then end up on the beaches. Feel free to read the article Reasons against plastic straws through and learn about the plastic-free alternatives.

Sliced apples in plastic packaging

The most unnecessary plastic packaging also got these apples. Already pre-cut, they are supposed to relieve the buyer of the cutting work. For this, the customer pays directly 1.50€ more, because an ordinary, packaging-free apple costs about 0.30€. Absolute price usury combined with unnecessary plastic packaging. Who buys it, is itself to blame and has probably also elsewhere sufficiently problems. Thanks to our reader Nora, who gave us the Picture on Facebook has made available.

Potato shrink wrapped in plastic

Also anything but Zero Waste are these potatoes in the plastic packaging. The film is absolutely unnecessary, because the potato has a natural skin, which is usually washed and also peeled. What the product developers were thinking remains their secret. The result: higher costs and a shitstorm. Because the image that Andrea Milne in a supermarket went around the world. An important sign for more consumer awareness.

Shrink wrapped oranges

This photo from France was sent to us by Nina from the Zero Waste Community on Facebook sent. The oranges are unnecessarily shrink-wrapped in plastic film, although they have a sturdy natural peel. The plastic packaging is also absolutely unnecessary here and results in higher costs for the manufacturer. Here you can get to the corresponding Facebook post.

Coke can in the plastic bowl

This is one of the most disturbing things I've ever heard in connection with the plastic free life I have seen. This supermarket in Hong Kong sells an ordinary can of Coke in a shrink-wrapped plastic tray. 3x plastic for 8-10 sips of cola. Aside from the fact that Coke is pretty much the worst thing you can drink, this product also makes an incredible amount of trash. The picture has been circulating on the internet for quite some time, originally posted by Martin Twillich on Twitter.

Water in plastic cup

The picture I took at a CleanUp in Indonesia recorded. Why? Because we picked up hundreds of these plastic cups, not only on this beach. Suppliers like Nestlé and Danone privatize water sources worldwide in order to sell 5 sips of water in plastic cups including a straw, which are then given to surfers as refreshment after surfing, for example, and are sold on the beaches as a Plastic waste in the environment land. Absolutely superfluous, but profitable. In my opinion, this water cup belongs at the top of the list of products in plastic packaging that make you doubt the sanity of mankind.

Bananas with peel in plastic packaging

To sell an unpeeled banana in a plastic tray with plastic film, I think is even more superfluous than offering a peeled banana in it. Because the packaging makes absolutely no sense. This picture has also been circulating on social media for years, drawing attention to the major packaging problem in our society. Who actually shot it, I unfortunately don't know. But one thing is for sure: It is an absurd product that really no one should buy in the supermarket to avoid unnecessary waste. A product that I absolutely have to buy in the Plastic free blog must show to make the packaging madness clear.

Pre-peeled tangerines in plastic

A picture that shows that our society has become incredibly comfortable and seemingly needs peeled tangerines in plastic packaging. The tangerine also has a natural peel that we can easily peel off. Instead, the fruit is sold in a plastic package at a higher price. Nathalie Gordon once shared this image on Twitter shared and communicated their lack of understanding. Of course, you can buy tangerines in bulk almost anywhere and peel them yourself.

Honey pomelo in plastic wrap

Here again we have a prime example of food unnecessarily wrapped in plastic. This honey pomelo is wrapped in plastic film, although it has a natural skin. Unbelievable how such products can still be on the market at all. This picture was kindly sent to us by Sandra and we have it here on facebook already discussed.

What to do about absurd plastic packaging?

As you've noticed in this article, there's a whole lot of crazy and unnecessary plastic-wrapped food out there. But the fact that these images are all spreading very quickly on social media and even triggering shitstorms against the manufacturers shows that we consumers are starting to consume more consciously.

But what can you do alone if you see a similarly absurd product in unnecessary plastic packaging? Quite simple: You can point it out to the respective manufacturer! The more people do this, the better. You can do this, for example, with the Replace Plastic AppYou can use it to scan the barcode and inform the manufacturer about the unnecessary packaging. In the article Redesign products you will get many more tips to change products as quickly as possible.

Do you have any questions, suggestions or your own experiences on the subject of unnecessary plastic packaging? Then I'm always happy to receive your comments below this article.

Stay clean,

PS.: Feel free to download my plastic-free e-book here for free and if you like you can here complete the 30-day online course 30 Days to Zero Waste for €5. Let's avoid unnecessary waste together.