30 Terrible Examples Of Unnecessary Packaging On Products

To learn more about why excessive packaging is so harmful, we reached out to sustainability expert Kris Bordessa, certified Master Food Preserver and award-winning book author.

"There are so many reasons that plastic packaging is bad for the environment! First, plastic is a petroleum product. The extraction and transport of fossil fuels used to make plastic products produces emissions that impact our air quality," she explained. "Then there’s the matter of waste management. Sure, some containers from, say, yogurt, can be reused in the kitchen, but an awful lot of plastic packaging is destined for the landfill."

"Then there’s the resulting micro-plastics," Kris continued. "These bits of plastic end up in the ocean, on our beaches, and in the bellies of fish and birds. Microscopic bits of plastic matter have even been found in every part of the human body, including in breast milk."

We were also lucky enough to get in touch with Amber McDaniel, Head of Content at Sustainable Jungle to hear her thoughts on this topic. She noted that plastic packaging is a huge problem for a few reasons: non-biodegradability, microplastic pollution and fossil fuels.

"Most plastics take hundreds to thousands of years to break down, leading to persistent pollution in landfills and natural ecosystems. If the latter, it can entangle, injure, or be ingested by animals, causing harm" Amber explained.

"Since plastics don't biodegrade back into natural elements as organic materials do, they can only break down into smaller and smaller microplastics, which contaminate soil, water, and air, affecting wildlife and not entering human food chains, as numerous studies and evidence show," she continued. Amber also noted that we're now finding microplastics in everything from human blood and brains to breast milk and placentae.

"Plastic production obviously relies heavily on fossil fuels, which only reinforces our dependency on the fossil fuel industry," Amber added.

So why do companies continue to package products like we see on this list here? "I think they’ve gotten so used to using plastic that they aren’t even thinking about alternatives or how this packaging damages the environment," Kris says.

And how much of this plastic can actually be recycled? "Recycling opportunities vary by region. Where I live? There are a couple of grassroots organizations that are using small amounts of specific plastics for upcycling projects but there is no municipal recycling of plastic at all - it all goes to the landfill," the expert continued.

"In other regions, plastic is taken in for recycling, but where does that end up? It’s often shipped to other countries, passing our waste problem on to them. It’s estimated that less than 10% of America’s plastic waste is actually recycled," Kris shared. "It important to remember that there is no 'away' when we toss our waste. You may have removed it from your home, but it’s still out there becoming someone else’s problem."

"I think this ultimately comes down to price and convenience. Plastic is cheap for companies to buy (far cheaper than more eco-friendly alternatives anyway), yet it ironically can make a product look more expensive," Amber says. "Its lightweight nature makes it appealing from a company standpoint as well because lighter products/packaging mean lighter shipments, which cost less in postage, too. Plus, alternatives like glass are breakable, so then companies would need to devise ways to protect and pad these items without relying on the very plastic they're using glass to avoid."

"Then there’s the practical side: packaging is often designed to protect products during shipping, especially fragile or delicate items," Amber continued. "And of course in some industry sectors, like food, plastic is basically required by law in order for companies to meet health and safety guidelines, as well as ensure freshness."

"Branding is another factor; companies use packaging to showcase logos, designs, and product details as a way to grab your attention," the expert continued. "Sometimes it’s just about convenience—many businesses rely on standard-sized boxes or materials, which might not be the perfect fit for every product, leading to extra waste. While it might seem excessive to consumers, for companies, it’s often about balancing marketing, logistics, and practicality."

Unfortunately, Amber also says that, realistically, not very much of this plastic can be recycled. "While a lot of soft plastics that make up packaging are technically recyclable, being Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), or plastic #4, they're not widely recycled because it's a big hazard to machinery to do so," she explained.

"Soft plastics are known for jamming up and breaking recycling machinery, so a lot of companies just refuse them. And unless you live in a fairly large metro area (at least here where I am in the US, where our recycling infrastructure is notably terrible on all fronts), most people don't even have the option to recycle soft plastics," Amber continued.

"For example, I live in a very small town in the west, and unless it's a #1 or #2 plastic bottle (it has to be a bottle, no other form) my local recycling facility flat out does not accept it, and there's no alternative even in my entire state that I'm aware of. Even other countries that have better recycling systems in place, like Australia, supposedly only recycle about 16% of plastic packaging each year, so the numbers are quite dismal," Amber told Bored Panda.

"And when people try to recycle something they shouldn't (something referred to as 'wish cycling'), it's even more harmful because then this contaminates other recyclables and leads to entire batches just being thrown away."

So what advice would these experts give to anyone who wants to cut back on how much plastic packaging they use and purchase? "Reducing our household use of plastic starts with being aware," Kris says. "What does your trash can look like when it’s full? Look at the plastic items and determine if there’s a different option. If you’re going through a lot of juice jugs, consider shifting to a frozen juice concentrate. Salad dressing is easy to make at home, which can eliminate more plastic."

"Another thing is that unless we are letting companies know that we have a problem with the amount of plastic they’re using, they’re going to just keep on using it," she added. "I am a big proponent of contacting corporations and letting them know that I’d like to see an alternative."