BUT.. That comes with plastic packaging!

You would agree with the fact that there are simpler solutions to some seemingly complex problems. Speaking of complex problems, how about "Saying no to plastic"? That is one BIG problem (to those who care, of course; as others just live for the sake of living it, as if there is no tomorrow), as many of everyday essentials have not parted ways with their beloved plastic packaging, yet.

For those who care, this creates a pretty complicated situation.

Am I going to save the world at the expense of my well-being?
Am I going to destroy the world for the betterment of myself (and live with regret for the rest of my life)?
Am I going to save both myself and the world?

Leaving it there for a moment, let's go back to the popular concept 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). Given that your country's context supports you, you can for sure recycle or up-cycle plastic / polythene packaging material. Reuse can be problematic at times but sometimes, possible. However, this article is about a means of reducing, which you might have not thought about.

Look at the picture above. Though the smaller one doesn't have any marks on it, both are from the same company and the same product. The clearly visible difference? Yes, you're correct, the size! Other difference is the weight of the product variant. Larger one is a 1kg packet, whereas the smaller one is a 400g packet.

Obviously, the larger packet outweighs the smaller packet by a factor of 2.5. So, what's the big deal? If you can recall some old mathematics lessons (if you can't, check this Khan Academy lesson), you would realise that the surface area (which determines the amount of polythene) of the larger one does not increase by the same factor. It is roughly 2 times, not 2.5. True that this is dependent on how manufacturers design their packaging but most of the time, this is the case with packaging.

Let's do a small calculation.

If you bought in 1kg packets, you will have saved nature from one 400g packet. Before you think of the cost factor, let me get to that point. Most of the time, the price behaves similar to the packaging surface area. You will have also saved few bucks when buying larger packets, in addition to saving the environment.

So, the next time, THINK before you BUY. Thanks in advance for being considerate and environment friendly.

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