Plastic Clamshell Packaging - Hard to Open, Harder to Recycle

Have you ever sliced your hand open trying to cut through a plastic clamshell package?  The plastic is super thick and the edges are heat-sealed together making it seem like an impossible task to get to the product that you just purchased.  Although customers seem to hate it, more and more clamshells show up in retails stores everyday.

According to an article from National Geographic, product packaging generates more plastic waste than any other industry.  In addition to the frustrating design of these clamshells, they aren't being recycled like they should be.  Reasons vary, but the most common are issues with recycling facilities not being about to sort them out from other materials - and if they can, labels or food residue become an issue to remove.  

If you do purchase something in a plastic clamshell, make sure you remove any stickers before tossing it into the recycle bin.  You should also advocate for your local recycle center to accept clamshells if they don't already.  It's a small effort that can result in an additional nudge toward the reduction of our plastic pollution crisis.

Take the Planet or Plastic pledge to join the cause.