This morning I received the following email from 7 11. I wrote them about not liking the idea of plastic around banana's. Here is what they emailed me.
Thank you for your response. Del Monte is currently working on a sustainable packaging solution. As was reported, we are testing the product to learn consumer response. We know that our customers want yellow bananas, and for them to stay yellow longer. Interestingly, there is a positive environmental impact from carrying wrapped bananas. Because their shelf life is now doubled, the number of truck deliveries are reduced, which provides a corresponding reduction in the carbon footprint. With a longer "shelf life", there is less waste; and food waste does come with an environmental cost. Many may not know that imported bananas are transported in plastic bags that control ripening, dehydration and respiration, whether they are organic, large commercial or fair trade bananas. Also, there are customers who do not like others touching food they plan to purchase -- even naturally wrapped bananas - particularly during this period of heightened flu-virus awareness. Thank you for your comments and we will take them into consideration."
My response: "Also, there are customers who do not like others touching food they plan to purchase
Even naturally wrapped banana's-particularly during this period of heightened flu-virus awareness."
Are you kidding me? You think your gonna get the flu virus through a banana? You walk around all day
walking through others "coughing" without even noticing. You touch door handles all day long, shake
hands with people, and touch who knows what all day. So to say anything about the flu virus and a
banana not being unwrapped just leaves me speechless. Serious?
Environmental impact-How about this idea, try getting your items local? All produce bought local would
really lessen your carbon footprint.
"With a longer "shelf life", there is less waste; and food waste does come with an environmental cost." It does not have to be this way. How about investing your
profits into greening up your company? You will have happy customers, happy distributors, and happy
green in your wallet because people will shop more with someone who has a lighter footprint on this
earth. Maybe you could spend more time on this than "convenience". Convenience means lots of things.
It means more packaging, plastic, preservatives, fatty food products, and toxic waste.
I could go on and on about this whole situation. In one way why should I try to fight a company as
big as 7 11. I will never win. But in another way if we don't, how will we change the thinking of
these companies? If we don't speak about what we do not like, how are they suppose to learn? If we
do not support companies who are doing this, maybe this will get their attention.
Conclusion: In my personal opinion, I do not shop in places like this. Yes they are getting better
about selling more healthier items but they are surrounded by lots of unhealthy choices. Soda, energy
drinks, candy, chips, hot dogs, jerky, and lots of other random junk that I just do not need. I would
much rather stop by a grocery store or local market and get a piece of fruit or something. Will my words
to them change their mind? Probably not. Will I make some sort of impact? I'm hoping so. Do you think
I'm fighting a endless battle? Probably. Why do I do it? Because it matters. Every little bit matters and
makes some sort of an impact. And its not just me doing this. Lots of other people like me taking a stand
against this sort of thing. Lots of little impacts making a large impact. We can all hope at least.
No comments:
Post a Comment