Comments on: When Packaging Helps http://www.wastedfood.com/2010/02/10/when-packaging-helps/ a look at how America squanders nearly half of its food Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:08:15 +0000 hourly 1 By: Tamara http://www.wastedfood.com/2010/02/10/when-packaging-helps/comment-page-1/#comment-235207 Tamara Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:26:07 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2010/02/10/when-packaging-helps/#comment-235207 I think we also need to be aware of the fact that, while some food packaging may be "necessary" and prolong the life of food, some certainly does not. For example, bagged pre-washed salad mixes rot very very quickly compared to a head of lettuce. I've never compared a regular cucumber with a shrink-wrapped one, but if a shrink-wrapped one really does last longer, it would seem to be the exception to the rule in my view. Mushrooms are another good example. Mushrooms do much better when bought loose in a paper bag, then when trapped without any oxygen. This is one reason why Trader Joe's bothers me so much, and I believe, results in more food waste. I think we also need to be aware of the fact that, while some food packaging may be “necessary” and prolong the life of food, some certainly does not. For example, bagged pre-washed salad mixes rot very very quickly compared to a head of lettuce. I’ve never compared a regular cucumber with a shrink-wrapped one, but if a shrink-wrapped one really does last longer, it would seem to be the exception to the rule in my view. Mushrooms are another good example. Mushrooms do much better when bought loose in a paper bag, then when trapped without any oxygen. This is one reason why Trader Joe’s bothers me so much, and I believe, results in more food waste.

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.wastedfood.com/2010/02/10/when-packaging-helps/comment-page-1/#comment-230944 Jonathan Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:31:34 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2010/02/10/when-packaging-helps/#comment-230944 @theFrugalGirl--you sure do prevent food waste! @Julius--not at all derailing...I kind of missed that fiasco. Head in the book and all that. Thanks for filling us (or me) in. That said, it does seem like a pretty safe argument that landfilling food waste is more harmful than packaging waste. @theFrugalGirl–you sure do prevent food waste!

@Julius–not at all derailing…I kind of missed that fiasco. Head in the book and all that. Thanks for filling us (or me) in. That said, it does seem like a pretty safe argument that landfilling food waste is more harmful than packaging waste.

]]> By: Julius http://www.wastedfood.com/2010/02/10/when-packaging-helps/comment-page-1/#comment-230938 Julius Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:18:03 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2010/02/10/when-packaging-helps/#comment-230938 That's a reasonable argument, and stands quite well on its own. That said, at risk of committing an 'ad hominem' fallacy, I'd like to proclaim scepticism of anything said by the Freakonomics gang after the fiasco that was the Superfreakonomics chapter on climate change. (If you missed it, the 'Superfreaks' essentially proclaimed how silly all those scientists were and it's much easier just to pump s**tloads of sulphur into the atmosphere to artifically cool the planet, rather than do the hard work of reducing greenhouse gases. Most people who actually have a clue, erm, disagreed, to put it mildly. The Superfreaks reacted by repeatedly contradicting themselves, flip-flopping between 'we accept climate science, but geoengineering is a better solution' and 'climate science is bunk', and insulting their critics.) Sorry if this is a derail of the discussion, and I'm pretty sure McWilliams wasn't involved in that one, but I just wanted to point out that the Freakonomics crowd's track record on environmental issues is perhaps a bit questionable. That’s a reasonable argument, and stands quite well on its own. That said, at risk of committing an ‘ad hominem’ fallacy, I’d like to proclaim scepticism of anything said by the Freakonomics gang after the fiasco that was the Superfreakonomics chapter on climate change.

(If you missed it, the ‘Superfreaks’ essentially proclaimed how silly all those scientists were and it’s much easier just to pump s**tloads of sulphur into the atmosphere to artifically cool the planet, rather than do the hard work of reducing greenhouse gases. Most people who actually have a clue, erm, disagreed, to put it mildly. The Superfreaks reacted by repeatedly contradicting themselves, flip-flopping between ‘we accept climate science, but geoengineering is a better solution’ and ‘climate science is bunk’, and insulting their critics.)

Sorry if this is a derail of the discussion, and I’m pretty sure McWilliams wasn’t involved in that one, but I just wanted to point out that the Freakonomics crowd’s track record on environmental issues is perhaps a bit questionable.

]]> By: Kristen@TheFrugalGirl http://www.wastedfood.com/2010/02/10/when-packaging-helps/comment-page-1/#comment-230936 Kristen@TheFrugalGirl Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:02:51 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2010/02/10/when-packaging-helps/#comment-230936 Huh. That's really interesting (and a little bit reassuring, because I can do more to prevent food waste than I can to prevent packaging). Huh. That’s really interesting (and a little bit reassuring, because I can do more to prevent food waste than I can to prevent packaging).

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