There is a growing debate among the society about whom should bear the responsibility for the increasing use of packaging of goods. Some argue that manufacturers and supermarkets are to be responsible, and others argue that customers are the responsible part and that they should avoid goods that require a lot of packaging. In this essay, I will discuss both views and examine their functionality.
Manufacturers should be careful about using packaging excessively because packaging usually comes with an environmental cost. To clarify, plastic is commonly the number one material used for the purpose of packaging. Consequently, using it excessively means more plastic has to be produced to cover the supply and demand required by the manufacturers. This inherently results in direct environmental damages. Therefore, manufacturers have to invest in researches that aim at developing packaging technologies that consume less plastic. By doing this, they will ultimately reduce the amount of packaging.
On the other hand, customers should be more supportive of other solutions, such as paper packaging or reusable shopping bags. Customers refuse to use reusable bags for different reasons. One reason is that sometimes they are required to pay for it, and another reason is that they might forget to bring it with them to the supermarket. However, in my opinion, customers should think about the common good and be more lenient and accepting to new solutions. And this way they can bear the responsibility alongside the manufacturers, as it should be indeed a shared societal responsibility.
In conclusion, I am against the fact that one side should solely bear the responsibility of reducing the use of packaging. Manufacturers, supermarkets, and customers should all bear an equal part of the responsibility.