WHAT IS MORE SUSTAINABLE? // organic and packaged in plastic vs package-free conventional produce
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
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Sources and works cited:
- US Environmental Protection Agency. “Reducing Wasted Food & Packaging: A Guide for Food Services and Restaurants.” EPA, 2014. www.epa.gov/sites/production/...
- Miles Brignall, The Guardian, 2018, www.theguardian.com/environme...
- foodprint.org/issues/the-envi...
- Environmental Working Group, 2021, www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fi...
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Then there is the sustainability considerations of quick sale foods at supermarkets. For example, where I live, we have food like veg or fruit that needs to be used on the day (or it is thrown away) and is heavily discounted, but it always in plastic. But then buying it saves the food waste and we can recycle the soft plastic with soft plastic recycling scheme here. So I always go to the farmers market for my main groceries and buy plastic free, but if I am at the supermarket and see a quick sale vege/fruit, I often buy those and try to find a way to use it.
I wish they did produce discounts like that where I am. I know the local Whole Foods does look for some produce to go in their recipes. I did once snag a bunch of bananas destined for the dumpster. Just peeled them & froze them😊
@@vallovesnature8449 we do that here in Germany, buuut on the other hand if we don't discount it, most just gets picked up by the food bank. And fresh produce is the most lacking thing in food banks usually. Cause people love donating a shit load of canned goods.
Same with the baked goods, supposedto have less than 20 Euros written off, but everything that remains get donates to the foodbank on the next morning as well. So yea. Oops. Baked a few too many bread rolls.
Luckily packaging isn't really that extreme here and loads of people have stopped bagging their stuff in the plastic bags provided by the store, or bringing their own bags.
But realistically, the till and my hands putting the bananas on the scale are pro ably the most clean thing those fruit have seen in their live anyway....
The only bad thing is small tomatoes. Plastics boxes wrapped in foil..
@@vallovesnature8449 My local WF recently started a lonely banana pile, so all of the single bananas from the other two types get put in at a discount from the others (I think .49/lb. vs 0.59 or 0.69). I wish they would extend that option or a similar version to more of their produce, but it's a start.
@@Erin-rg3dw My WF has a lonely banana pile too. Nice when you can get a banana for 16 cents. Lidl occasionally has banana couples.
Im currently doing my dissertation on organic farming in the UK and just reading about it all has really changed my habits and I'm much more willing to spend the extra money at farmer's markets now. It's so good to see that it's growing up popularity
In my opinion, we should pay attention to the origin of the product.
It's illogical to use an organic product that comes from other country or continent, when we have a local one.
To me, the origin of the product it is what helps us to decide.
Absolutely! First thing I pay attention to is origin, if then there is a packaged and unpacked option both kinda local I go for unpackaged, but it’s only the second criteria.
Exactly! Where I live, environmental laws are very strong fo agriculture. Plus synthetic fertilisers and pesticides aren't bad if well use as mentionned on the sticker and with a good managment.
When doing my degree in agronomy, I realised there are no difference on healt and environment between organic and non-organic. So I will choose the season local option with no packaging if availible.
@@audreysavard3248 I guess the key word here is seasonal. Otherwise the local product might not be more sustainable than the transported one.
This dilema is the one that help me continue with my carrer as a graphic designer bc i can help an organic product complete their sustainable journey with a sustainable and ethically made packaging
Yeeeees go do the lord's work 😎😎😎
I have seen a change in france recently, they are starting to package organic produce in cardboard instead of plastic which at least can be put in the compost or will breakdown much easily.
Thanks for the video, definitely helped !
I have seen this too in the US. I am especially hopeful about seeing this at Costco for bulk produce.
Vive la France ! ☺️
Zero waste and sustainability are actually areas where quantity matters over quality: We need a lot of people doing it imperfectly, rather than a few doing it perfectly.
Still shaking my head in disbelief at organic potatoes in the organic supermarket that came from Northern Africa, watered from Jurassic water stores that do not replenish themselves, whereas potatoes that are grown locally/conventionally use much less water.
Absolutely
“One-third of all food produced is wasted, lots of it before it even hits the shelves in the supermarket.”… oooff… that statement is a total downer 😥. It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it? Great video Gittemary!! As per ushe… thanks for all the helpful info. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary🍁
Thanks for this video Gittemary! One thing I would like to add: many small farmers who use organic and sustainable practices cannot afford to get the official "organic" certification. Its very expensive in the US, so its only accessible to larger operations. (hence why there's "organic" Doritos, etc). So in that way I don't put much weight on the organic label. Always prioritize local, in-season produce whenever possible!
I try to do research on the farms I use because many farms practice the same/similar practices, but can't get the label. Most farmers I've found are pretty proud of their sustainability practices if they have them, so the information isn't hidden. If it's a bigger brand, I'll go for organic. For example, my local CSA isn't technically organic, but they don't spray and use regenerative farming practices, so I stock up on their produce/products. But when it comes to buying in the store, organic all the way.
I've noticed the packaging also depends on the store and region you live in too. The grocery store where I used to live had a very small organic section, it was expensive, and everything was plastic wrapped. The Whole Foods where I live now has an almost equal volume of conventional to organic, and pretty much all of the produce has a package free option most of the time. It's also significantly cheaper. These stores are only 30 min apart. With a few exceptions, pretty much everything I buy in stores is organic to avoid the nasty additives and chemicals, but it definitely helps to have a store that prioritizes it.
In the summer, I have a CSA with a local farm. As someone stated below, getting the organic certification is expensive for farms, so many small farms don't have it. This farm uses regenerative practices and doesn't spray, and they have other good practices all around. They do package many of the CSA items in plastic bags, but they're basic clear plastic that I can use for other things.
Loved this video! Luckily we don't have plastic packaging on organic produce in organic supermarkets in Germany and I am privileged renough to have the money to spend my money there.
One thing I would like to add into the discussion is the health concerns of the workers on conventional farms. I've seen documentaries on the farming of conventional bananas where the pesticides and herbicides are sprayed over huge fields where people are working in the meantime and they get serious health issues from this. They often have no choice in choosing a different job and are exploited this way.Maybe this is also something we should consider when we stand in front of a shelf of plastic wrapped organic baboons vs conventional ones x
Thank you so much for this video. I'm watching you from France and as a western country, i feel you so much in this sustainability dilemma we are all in. I'm sometime sad that the change doesn't come from the top but by the bottom and the real people and their individual impact. And sometime i'm even more sad that it will not be enought
So much great information. It made me realize though, we garden and compost.. that's not enough. We have farms literally surrounding us, but I continue to shop for produce that we do not grow or process at the shopping center. Why?!?! I'm here in farm country. I drive past a Mennonite produce store daily. Thanks for the kick in the butt. Love your videos!!!!!
Yes finally somebody answered this, I am asking this myself every single time I go grocery shopping! Thank you for the informative and entertaining video 💕💕💕
Love you girl. Another great video. Packaging is only a small part of it. I shop at Costco (warehouse with large quantity of bulk items). Less expensive but with packaging. I try to offset the plastic by buying 25 pound bag beans, rice, etc. I make my own oatmilk, cheese, seitan and more.
Making your own food from scratch definitely takes off the impact for sure, and buying 1 big bag is tons better than buying 20 small ones
Also for the people that cannot grow as much as they would like or be able to afford as much as much. if you buy an organic product or grow and organic product collect the seeds hydrate them and you can grow more. or if you have a local farmer maybe you can make a connection be able to help plant
Here in the uk organic sweet potatoes, onions etc are available in netting bags. But these too are plastic. When I was young these were made of biodegradable string, so an alternative is available. Until they use that method I buy loose non-organic produce.
the biodegradable string was probably made out of cotton and single use cotton items are most likely not more sustainable than a plastic net, so unpackaged is the way to go :)
Thanks for this type of video! Of course it’s not as satisfying when there’s no clear winner but you show that there are larger, more complicated conversations to be had! Tak!
Happy to help, sadly not all issues can be fixed with a simple solution, but I hope that when we open up the complexity of some of these issues it will become easier to make decisions in daily life 🌿
This is the sort of thing I think about all the time: is it more “sustainable” to buy skincare that uses synthetically made ingredients in a lab, or natural ingredients that are resource intensive from around the world?
Good question, I think it depends on the the individual company and how they are sourcing their ingredients. Overall not all products made in a lab are bad, and not all natural products are good - so I would look at the induvial efforts of the individual companies
A good example of this is synthetic hyaluronic acid versus naturally-derived hyaluronic acid. It's much more environmentally-friendly to use HA made in a lab, rather than deriving it from plants (or animal sources, eep, though this is now a very rare mostly specialty item). Meanwhile, a wonderful oil like squalane can have really serious ecological impact (unless you're paying for Biossance), even though it's now overwhelmingly plant-derived. I really think this is often a case-by-case thing, rather than a B&W question. That makes it more difficult to navigate. In the end, I'd say Gittemary is right. Not all lab is bad (some of the most powerful skincare ingredients are synthetic, and most natural ingredients require modification to benefit skin, e.g. ginseng), not all natural is good (might be unstable or irritating, for example). Some things, like petrochemicals or PEGs, are obvious to avoid. But it makes the most sense to just look at what individual skincare companies are doing in their overall practices, including supply chains where possible, and go by that more than each individual type of ingredient, unless it's a very simple formula or an oil blend, for example.
Has anyone told you that you resemble emilia clark a lot? It's not only the iconic eyebrows or huge blue eyes but also your way of goofing around and being upbeat and likable.
Organic VS Conventional is also especially difficult in the US, due to large-scale "organic" mono-culture farming, or the fact that a lot of small farmers can't afford organic certification, so their produce isn't technically "organic" even if they follow organic practices. In the US, "organic" doesn't really mean much overall, especially with the lack of proper regulation. You can even get "organic" fruit bars from Kellogg, processed and packaged in plastic, here.
I do have a farmers market but they rarely have fruit or veg. I also have a food cooperative they're so expensive 😫 but I do still try to go once a month to get my zero waste/biodegradable necessities that are not offered at the grocery store and I feel good knowing I'm helping a local business.
Tak for en fantastisk video. Jeg har været meget i tvivl om hvad man skal vægte højest. Jeg har nu besluttet mig for at købe økologisk som udgangspunkt, som jeg egentlig har gjort inden jeg begyndte min LOW WASTE rejse. Jeg er dog også så heldig, at det er et lokalt høstmarked et par gange i ugen, hvor der kommer lokale landmænd og sælger økologisk og plastikfrit. Det smager jo bare så meget bedre og køber ind til der en hel uge. I LOVE IT!!
This was honestly just on my mind. I was at the grocery store and unsure if I should get the organic potatoes in plastic or the loose conventional potatoes… 😂😭 I picked the organic ones and they actually had mostly paper packaging but a plastic film window. 😓
Thank you, Gittemary, your advices are always illuminating.
This was spot on! Thank you Gittemary.
The most impactful choice you can make before any packaging / organic vs not-questions is: buying plant-based! Plant foods are ALWAYS the more sustainable option.
In Poland We have tattooed organic carrots ect. in Lidl
I'm learning how to grow my food but here in Finland that isn't possible all year round. What I wish I could do is buying more organic but it's so expencive that it's not possible most of the time. Me and my spouse are trying to move more to homesteading type of life but man is it hard work! Thanks to you Gittemary I have started to also be more active in trying to avoid waste. My attitude is that if it's possible, I'll do a bit of extra. I just hope companies would move towards paper instead of plastic. I'm also happy to say that where I live we have a lot of produce without plastic and you can just choose a paper bag and fill that one and they sell reusable ones right where the tomatoes are! I just wish I could buy things like pasta like that as well.
I have sometimes been able to find pasta in cardboard, perhaps is that an option? Either way it seems that you are doing a great deal to live consciously and that is amazing! All we can do is our best 💚
In Austrian supermarkets e.g. organic cucumbers are wrapped into plastic because they should not get into contact with the non organic cucumbers/produce which have chemicals on them. This goes for many other produce.
Thank you so much for this video! I was just thinking about this yesterday and was going to suggest it for a video, but you read my mind!
Happy to help 😍
Great video! Great job! 🔝 🔝
OMG I JUST PUT A VIDEO OUT ABOUT BUYING GROCERIES IN PLASTIC PACKAGING 🙆🏾 so this is REALLY helpful👏🏾
Whaaaaat, great minds think alike 🌿💚
Thank you for this video your videos are always so informational and I really do appreciate that about you I do like to buy organic and I try to buy the organic that are on the dirty dozen list otherwise I will buy regular.
Thank you so much for the support!
I love the laser labelling, but as someone who has been living in Sweden for the most part these past years, I don't know if I've ever seen it on vegetables at ICA (I recognise the I
First of all, I looove your content so much! You inspire and motivate me to change my daily life to be more sustainable and I feel so much better in doing so. I actually have a similar eco-dilemma, though: Would you say it is better to buy cows milk yoghurt from local, small farmers in glas containers that are recycled and reused, or soy yoghurt in plastic containers?
We grow some fruit and vegetables, which is lovely, but I live in Canada where the growing season is about 5 months and is Zone 2. Essentially, we are very limited in what we can grow or buy from a Farmer’s Market. Difficult, even canning/freezing what we grow. Also, eating what is in season would mean no fruits or vegetables for half the year, lol. So, this video is helpful in deciding what to get at a conventional supermarket. Thanks 🙏
Good point! I live in Wisconsin, which also has a limited growing season. Some local/ seasonally available fruits I like are melons, berries of any kind, cherries, and apples. But you are right that fruits especially aren’t really a thing except for imported ones. There’s some vegetables also that can be stocked up to get you through at least some of the winter. For example, squash, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and darn near any root vegetable can be stored for quite some time, if stored properly, before going bad. Depending where in Canada you live, maybe you would also be able to find local farms that grow in greenhouses, which could help with some of the early spring time. Us Northern climate folk have to get a little creative. :)
It is indeed complex. We do have some farmer's markets in BC Canada yet prices there are 3-5 times more than in some more affordable stores. And to be able to eat organic foods mostly, one has to have a significant income. Of course it is understandable how much effort it takes to grow foods. So there is catch22 here. What is frustrating though is that there is no reliable recycling system. I think if science will catch up faster to offer some more biogradable packaging options, that can be one of good solutions for sure.
Great video 👍
Thank you!
The dilemma of my life!!! Great topic...
Hope this helps 😬👌
Actually idk if we should buy products at a farmers market, bc for instance in my country (Moldova) farmers use as much pesticides, herbicides and so on as are used in the conventional products, so i reckon it isn't always the best solution (as in my case).
I usually just choose the conventional products that aren't packaged, but is rly frustrating that i can do that only with fruit and vegetables. We don't have bulk stores at all, and 90% of food can't be bought without package.
If you’re buying conventional produce anyway, you should definitely buy from local farms. Keep in mind that products coming from further away also requires more recourses to transport. Shopping local can be even more important, even if it’s not organic.
I was just watching your Brain bar debate. You did the animals justice!
Thank you so much, I try my best!
I don't buy organic food becouse the price of those are 4 times higher in Greece...
I can't speed that much!
Also i shop plastic-with at the supermarket becouse 99% of the products are in plastic packaging.
And i dont fill guilty about that at all.
I really enjoy your content though🥀💚
Do you have any option to buy your groceries in the local markets?
@@puszduszek yes there is some local markets near me that operate only at the mornings one day in the week
I was literally thinking about this today when I was being my frozen berries 🤦
I found a plant based dish sponge and it was packed in a beautifully unreciclable plastic. I can't help wondering what type of consumer the manufacturer targets.
I watched Kurzgesagt - in a nutshell video about organic food and I am not sure that organic food is sustainable right now regardless. I think local is best.
Something that is concerning in the united states, is that if produce crosses any state borders, it is required by law to be sprayed with pesticides. This includes organic foods. Do you have any problems like that where you are? It makes you feel very limited as to what is a clean food.
Also, I love that idea of the laser labels on foods. I've never heard of that but been frustrated at all the stickers. Good to know solutions are being worked on and I hope it reaches worldwide soon
That's.... wild 😬😭 I haven't experienced that in Scandinavia, but yeah, we hope to see more branded produce in the future !
Apparently organic produce is also packaged so that conventional stuff doesn't cross contaminate, e.g., with pesticides and such.
Idk if it's somewhat related, but I remember a question I had currently. Is it more sustainable to drive 10 minutes by car to shop at a package free store or walk to a "regular" store where the stuff is packaged?
Good one! I asked myself that times and times again and never really found an answer to it
Driving 10 minutes is very little, it is when we move into the hour’s territory that it can be a problem ☺️
In my area, the nearest package free store is about a half hour drive, but it is near some other things I do, so I try to make it a multi-purpose trip if I’m going there. As a bonus, I get 2-3 chores done in one go.
Can relate. For some rough estimates, the book "How bad are bananas? The carbon footprint of everything" by Mike Berners-Lee might help you if the carbon footprint is the figure you want to consider. (but numbers might not be accurate, as it was first published in 2011)
QUESTION: I would love to know what you think about how sustainable electric cars really are. The uk government is pushing us towards them, but I have heard their batteries are very polluting
Update: she has a video now!
Micro-organisms consume carbon what plants take from atmosphere and push to the ground via roota of the plants. In my knowledge micro organisms are huge part of carbon cycle.
Age-old question: why does my house smell funny/ what is that smell and where is it coming from?
But also, what is that noise and how do I get rid of it?
Hi 🦋
In this case, if I have to choose, I will choose the organic produce in plastic 😢
That's fair though 🤷♀️🌿💚
Organic is healthier