Shopper calls out grocery store for bizarre product found on shelves: 'We have to do better than this'

A TikToker posted a video, bewildered and annoyed by precooked quinoa wrapped tightly in plastic. 

Farmer Nick (@farmer_nick) shared the clip, captioning it, "Packaging these things in excessive and unnecessary plastic is WILD!"

@farmer_nick Craziest chub I've ever seen 😂💀⁣ ⁣ Obviously pre cooked meals are important for those with disabilities or a lack of time wealth, but packaging these things in excessive and unnecessary plastic is WILD! Still don't know if it is worse than the plastic-wrapped potato, but it is close 🤦‍♂️⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #plasticfree #plasticpollution #singleuseplastic #grocery ♬ original sound - Farmer Nick

"I thought I saw it all when it came to excessive, unnecessary plastic use until I saw this," Farmer Nick said.

Loaves of bread wrapped in three layers of plastic, herbs packaged in plastic containers, and built-in plastic utensils are all horrendous examples of too much plastic packaging. 

Farmer Nick also brought up another packaging atrocity, saying: "But the question still remains: Is it worse than the plastic-wrapped microwavable potato? We have to do better than this."

These plastics essentially last forever. A plastic straw takes over 200 years to break down, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Plastic items simply break apart into smaller and smaller pieces until they become microplastics. 

We're eating, drinking, and breathing microplastics every day because of extreme plastic use, especially when it comes to packaging. According to The Guardian, the average person eats at least 50,000 microplastic particles a year and also inhales roughly the same amount.

Exposure can lead to a range of health problems. According to a 2023 study, microplastics substantially harm respiratory, gastrointestinal, hormone, and reproductive health.

Companies are using excessive packaging without taking responsibility for the plastics they're creating. They pass the burden of properly disposing plastic waste onto customers, who often don't know how to responsibly manage it.

In the comments, people discussed potential solutions to this problem.

Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely 👍 Only in some areas 🫤 Not really 👎 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Someone asked, "How would you package ready to eat quinoa?" Farmer Nick suggested, "Glass or home compostable packaging. But they won't do it because it is expensive."

Someone else noted the importance of putting pressure on companies to be more eco-conscious, writing, "We push it back on them to put it in packaging that's responsible and suck it up because the earth is more important than sales."

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