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YouCall
That
''Progress''?
by
Clayton Steep
Wrappings, cans, bags, bottles, boxes-aren't we overdoing it?
Pasadena, Calif.
T
H E 96TH
annual
Pasadena New
Year's Tourna–
ment of Roses Parade
is now history.
lt
is always amazing
how quickly the crowds
that line the streets for
this event- arriving a
full 24 hours or more
before the parade even
begins- disappear af–
ter it passes.
But left behind is a
blanket of litter- tons
and tons of litter. Most of
it is made up of discarded
wrappings and containers
that once held various
kinds of food or drink.
How many of us take it
for granted that the
amount of plastic, glass,
cellophane, paper, card–
board, aluminum, tin,
Styrofoam and other materials a
society uses to wrap or contain food
is a measure · of today's advance–
ment? The greater the quantity of
such materials used once and then
thrown away, the more a society is
presumed to be enjoying progress.
Should lt Be Thls Way?
But stop and think. Is all that really
progress?
February 1985
Have you ever struggled to open a
little cellophane bag of peanuts?
Your fingers take hold where the
words say "Tear here." You pull
and twist. Nothing gives. You pull
and twist sorne more. In vain.
Finally, out of desperation, you
grab the top corner in your teeth
and yank the bag open, spilling
peanuts far and wide as you stand
there with a shred of cellophane
dangling from your lip.
Or what about the
paper milk carton with
the spout that does not
open? Though you follow
the instructions printed
on the side to the letter,
the spout remains sealed.
After sorne effort you
resort to the use of a knife
or other sharp instrument
and you puncture and
tear an opening out of
whicb you may dribble
the milk.
And who has not had a
tin can or bottle to open,
but no opener available?
Or tried to reseal a "re–
sealable" carton that
would not stay shut? Or
purchased a package of
sorne foodstuff only to
find out once you have
opened it at borne that
the package is only half
full or, worse, that the
contents are spoiled? Or, wben
attempting to loosen the lid on a
jar, had the lid suddenly move,
allowing a liberal amount of what–
ever is inside to spill?
Such are sorne of the design
defects in modern food packaging.
But there is more. A controversy
rages in sorne circles as to how safe
many of the man-made materials
are t.hat are used to package food.
There are those who are convinced
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