We hear a lot these days about recycling and carbon footprints and pollution. The information is all very valuable, and should certainly be considered. After all, we only have one planet, and if we exhaust its health, what will be left to support us? But, used responsibly, plastic food packaging can be handy when it comes to our food. There are quite a few advantages of plastic packaging, and if used responsibly, it can be a valuable addition to the safety of the food we eat.
Cleanliness
Most food that we consume has been shipped from another part of the country to the grocery stores we frequent. It’s part of the grander scheme of supply and demand, a reality we must live with on a planet populated with over 6 billion people. Because of all of this motion, food traveling from state to state, or coast to coast, packaging becomes synonymous with cleanliness. Plastic food packaging keeps foods contained and clean.
Freshness
Fruits and vegetables don’t last forever, no matter what you do, but plastic packaging can go a long way in preserving the freshness of a tomato off the vine or peas shelled on a warm summer day. And the longer fresh fruits and vegetables last in your kitchen, the more you’re getting your money’s worth from this produce. There are even plastic bags explicitly designed to help prolong the life of fruits and vegetables, thus saving you money every time you stop at the grocery store.
Convenience
Besides its effect on the cleanliness of produce, or its long-term money-saving benefits, plastic food packaging is also astoundingly convenient. You can snag a bag of apples, or a container of fresh berries, or a tub of arugula any time you step foot in a grocery store, and the clear nature of plastic allows for easy selection.
