I’ve noticed minor changes around the edges, but no transformative change. A few anecdotes - there’s a “zero waste” grocer in my town with a glass jar exchange thing, but they still get product in bulk plastic and then repackage it so consumers get to ignore the upstream supply chain plastic use. Probably better than a regular grocer, but probably not better than just buying bulk at costco or co-ops. Costco had a recent article about their new rotisserie chicken bags and it was staggering how much plastic that move will save, but that’s just efficiency and not actually solving the problem. So it’s a step, but small and theres a limit. We also have shrinkflation that makes the problem worse. So in my observation, some stuff is happening but usually to save packaging cost while simultaneously selling it as progress, despite it being not transformative enough to actually solve anything. But I guess 10lbs of waste is better than 12lbs of waste. We need regulations.
Barely anything has noticeably changed in most packaging, especially at the grocery store, in the last decade.
I’ve noticed minor changes around the edges, but no transformative change. A few anecdotes - there’s a “zero waste” grocer in my town with a glass jar exchange thing, but they still get product in bulk plastic and then repackage it so consumers get to ignore the upstream supply chain plastic use. Probably better than a regular grocer, but probably not better than just buying bulk at costco or co-ops. Costco had a recent article about their new rotisserie chicken bags and it was staggering how much plastic that move will save, but that’s just efficiency and not actually solving the problem. So it’s a step, but small and theres a limit. We also have shrinkflation that makes the problem worse. So in my observation, some stuff is happening but usually to save packaging cost while simultaneously selling it as progress, despite it being not transformative enough to actually solve anything. But I guess 10lbs of waste is better than 12lbs of waste. We need regulations.
I suppose have noticed some local stores banning plastic on a town by town basis. Small things are happening, but sometimes you have to look hard.