Why Woolies shoppers are outraged over this photo
Woolworths shoppers have been left outraged after a photo of cloves of garlic wrapped in plastic packaging was posted to a Facebook group.
One man, who spotted the ‘Odd Bunch’ range of garlic cloves at Woolworths in Bondi Junction, took to the social media site to voice his disgust at the excessive amount of packaging used, which he claims is totally unnecessary.
“Woolworths sell garlic gloves wrapped in plastic. Garlic comes out of the ground in a bulb that can be cleaned and sold as a unit. Why would Woolies break up the garlic bulb into cloves and then repack them in excessive plastic,” the man wrote.
He went on to say that he was confused at the move, especially considering the supermarket removed disposable plastic bags from stores last year and replaced them with the Woolworths Bags for Good.
Many others agreed, saying it makes ‘zero sense’ because the cloves aren’t even peeled and therefore don’t need to be protected by plastic.
“There is so much plastic in Woolworths it’s ridiculous, I feel since free plastic carry bags have stopped there seems to be so much more food packed in plastic,” one person wrote.
One person even said they wouldn’t be shopping at Woolworths until the packaged garlic is ‘off the shelves’.
“Agreed perhaps paper packets would be easier seeing as the plastic may make the garlic sweat,” a person responded.
In an effort to shed some light on the situation, a commenter said that they’re actually the cloves that have come apart from the bulb and have been left in the tray at the end.
“They could still sell it with a scoop and paper bags. No need to wrap it in so much plastic,” one person responded.
Woolworths has responded to the controversy in a statement to Yahoo Lifestyle Australia, saying they’re continually working to reduce their plastic production.
“Since we launched Odd Bunch our customers have purchased more than 130 million kilograms of imperfect fruit and vegetables, helping to reduce food waste,” the spokesperson said.
“We have REDcycle facilities in every store across the country, so customers can return soft plastics, including Odd Bunch packaging, to our stores to be recycled.
“In partnership with REDcycle, we've now repurposed almost 500 tonnes of soft plastics into useful items like outdoor furniture and benches for community groups and stores.
“We know there is much more to do, and we'll continue to work on our plastic reduction efforts.”
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