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submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

I'm sharing this because any reduction in unnecessary packaging waste is good for the planet - and because I think laser-etching avocados is funny. 🙂

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[-] [email protected] 76 points 1 year ago

But they are already avocados, packaging or etching is completely avoidable…

[-] [email protected] 35 points 1 year ago

But how are you supposed to know it's an avocado if it's not laser etched??????????????? /s

[-] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago

Agreed, but since they're not avoiding packaging or etching, etching is better.

Personally, I'd rather see them etched wit guacamole recipes.

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[-] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago

Many people forget that a store can have two types of avocados priced differently that then needs to be distinguished from one another at the checkout. It could for example be organic Vs conventional. Or for apples there are many different types that can all look the same. I find this type of tech pretty cool. I would love to see variations of it. Maybe editable wax ink or something like that

[-] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Around here we just have little stickers on the produce with a code number on it. Most produce is just stacked with no packaging. You collect as many as you want in a bag. At the check out, the little code number can be used tell what the exact variety is.

This seems a lot simpler than lazer etching to me, but idk, maybe that is really cheap and easy too?

[-] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

It's also about the fear of people just moving stickers around. I personally think it's probably only a very small amount of people who would actually do that so the cost of preventing that is not worth it.

I can inform you that laser edging is much cheaper and way faster than stickers. Lasers are cheap and you don't have any consumables you need to keep buying like stickers.

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[-] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

Seriously, I feel like this could all have been replaced by a paper sign...

[-] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago

Some markets that use signs also use a dot or two from a colored pen on the differently priced avocados (organic, large, etc.) to distinguish them at checkout.

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[-] [email protected] 31 points 1 year ago

I’ve never seen avocados in a box. Is that a common thing outside of the US?

[-] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

Come to Denmark and you'll be seriously shocked by how much plastic is used for food packaging. It's insane and I hate it so much.

[-] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

The US has its own share of overly plastic packaging. I have occasionally seen individual vegetables shrinkwrapped. It’s just not the norm.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

I saw a pre-peeled orange for sale at a convenience store. It was wrapped in plastic wrap. Like, why‽‽‽ They literally grow their own wrapper....

[-] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

It happens to cucumbers relatively often but other veggies are just so weirdly shaped from a packaging standpoint that I don't think they see it as worthwhile

[-] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Cucumbers have much better shelf-life when shrink-wrapped. It ends up a debate of which is worse between food waste and plastic waste.

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[-] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

That was the one I was thinking of! I knew there was an organic veggie I regularly buy that’s wrapped.

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[-] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Tesco is in the Uk so I would say so.

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[-] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago

You know what’s even less packaging? Not putting them in a box

[-] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

And not etching them as well.

[-] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

Dunno why you got downvoted for this. I don't see why they'd waste energy etching them when they can just label the tub they're displayed in.

[-] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago

I once laser engraved "help I'm a banana" on a banana.

Death to non-compostable produce stickers. If lasers are what it takes, I'm all for it (not sure if that's really what's going on here though).

[-] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Death to non-compostable produce stickers.

God I hate those. They constantly end up in the compost despite my best efforts. God only knows how many of them are part of the soil in my garden now.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Archeologists of whatever species comes after us will be excited to learn about your food choices

[-] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

"Wow, they sure did eat a lot of stickers."

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[-] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I feel like other grocers have already solved this problem by just not putting barcodes on the produce at all, and having the item manually punched in at the register while it's on a scale (if it's sold by weight and not per item).

[-] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago

You know what other option is popular and much more common than packaging or etching. A tiny sticker, made out of recycled paper.

[-] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

Better yet biodegradable paper and glue so you just throw all the shit in a compost bin!

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[-] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

You dont even need the sticker. They are avocados and are distinct and easy for a cashier or moron at self checkout to figure out how to ring up.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Rice paper, IIRC, with edible ink and glue

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[-] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

Why are single avocados packaged in any way?

[-] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

What? You guys wrapping avocado individually in a paper box? Why?

[-] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

I dunno. Supermarkets near where I live sell avocados individually out of a big plastic tub under a sign saying AVOCADOS in case you can't tell by looking.

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[-] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Ah yes, putting company logos directly onto our food. Just what I've always wanted.

[-] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

If it saves on waste, I say go for it


I hate removing those stupid stickers before throwing them in the compost.

Bananas take really well to laser engraving.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

They use this technique for a while now to mark organic fruit and veg in my (german) supermarket. Where they used packaging previously to distinguish them from regular, cheaper produce, they can omit that now. I like it.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Was about to say this. I was a bit surprised my ginger had a logo lasered into it the first time I saw this

[-] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Would be cool to Lazer the Barcode on it

[-] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I believe this has been tried, but is difficult to do with most produce because the shape changes as the fruit ages on the shelf, making the barcodes unusable.

[-] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Laser all the foods!

[-] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I would totally eat Laser Avocado Doritos!

[-] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

they could etch an advertisement on them to subsidize the cost.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Or "you could have bought a house"

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[-] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Or buy things without packaging when it is available like for avocados

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this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2024
276 points (96.6% liked)

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