Stephen Gray

Ursula Franklin Academy (Toronto, ON)

Overpackaging is an often overlooked problem with an equally overlooked simple solution. Although packaging does offer added convenience when buying and transporting food, the drawbacks of using plastic packaging in excess far overshadow the benefits. The picture shown above highlights this problem as all of the vegetables displayed on the stand have been thoroughly wrapped in plastic cling film. Wrapping vegetables in plastic wrap is a fairly new style of storage used to preserve the freshness of food, however the sheer amount of plastic used could have easily been minimized by simply placing the vegetables in a lidded container, blocking exposure to air while reducing the total amount of waste used. If more people became aware of the consequences of overpackaging and worked cooperatively to lessen its effects, I believe a significant dent in plastic pollution levels could be made.