Whole Foods Market pulled out its pre-peeled oranges in plastic tubs from store shelves following a social media backlash that had consumers raising concern over the impact of the unnecessary plastic packaging on the environment. The company, which is known to provide healthy options to shoppers, set the Internet abuzz as people blasted it for its packaging flub.
The photo of the peeled oranges in plastic tubs was uploaded in Twitter by Nathalie Gordon. Though a lot of people support the post, some argued that this step will make it easier for people with disabilities to eat peeled oranges.
If only nature would find a way to cover these oranges so we didn't need to waste so much plastic on them. pic.twitter.com/00YECaHB4D
— Nathalie Gordon (@awlilnatty) March 3, 2016
Despite having some arguments having valid points, the company decided to pull the product out of stores and leave the oranges in their natural packaging.
@awlilnatty Definitely our mistake. These have been pulled. We hear you, and we will leave them in their natural packaging: the peel. — Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) March 3, 2016
The company is well-known for its Green Campaign, which urges shoppers to protect the environment through using reusable bags when shopping. They also offer a wide array of environment-friendly packaging options in most of its branches. The recent packaging decision contradicted its mission to care for the environment.
Plastic Waste Increasing Worldwide
In a 2015 study published in the journal Science, researchers revealed that more than 4.8 million metric tons of plastic are dumped into oceans across the world every year. These waste products affect marine life as they choke, entangle or wind up in the stomach of these animals.
"Large-scale removal of plastic marine debris is not going to be cost-effective and quite likely simply unfeasible," said Roland Geyer, an associate professor at UC Santa Barbara Bren School of Environmental Science & Management.
"This means that we need to prevent plastic from entering the oceans in the first place through better waste management, more reuse and recycling, better product design and material substitution," he added.
Another report says that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans thanks to humans dumping more non-biodegradable waste each year. The study reveals that more than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped and make their way to the world's oceans every year. At present, 165 million tons of plastic are present in oceans across the globe.
