Dear sir/madam, I as a concerned citizen of this beautiful planet we call home,urge you, as a fellow-citizen of the same, to spare 3 minutes of your time to read carefully a few plastic usage figures I have presented below, as it is a critical factor that plays a role in the world we leave for our children. As of 2017, we had 9.2 billion tons of plastic that were manufactured. Of that, more than 6.9 billion tons was discarded off as waste.. And of that waste, a staggering 6.3 billion tons never made it to the recycling plant, rather, it is now occupying precious space in the form of a towering landfill, or being dumped into the ocean. We are now in 2019. And it only gets worse every year. Having said this, I would like to draw your attention to an issue related to food packaging; savory chips in particular. Brands like Frito-Lay, Parle and ITC have for a very long time, selling their products in oversized packages. Either in order to fool the consumer or to comply with standard packaging norms. This idea, of oversized packaging, may have worked years ago, by fooling consumers into believing the packet contains more but is no more true for the consumer of today who is more aware of his/her purchases. My case A regular pack of wafers consists of 3 layers - polypropylene (a superior moisture absorber), polyethylene and a thin aluminum layer. The average size of a 25 grams packet (that sells for Rs. 10), is 13.9cm by 21 cm when in actuality a 10.5cm by 13cm pack would suffice just as well to hold the same 25 gms of product. When one compares the volumetric weight of the packet to the weight of the chips filled inside it, it is found that not even one-third of the actual capacity is utilized. Hence we waste about the 155cm square of plastic, for every single packet that is produced. Now THAT is a lot of plastic. Â My kind request We as consumers have the power to stop the production of items, by simply refusing to purchase or consume them, until the desired changes are made. While I completely understand, these are much-loved products, let us remember, that they in no way contribute to our nutrition on a daily basis, on the contrary, do harm. It wouldn't hurt to stay away for the sake of our bodies, and the greater good of the planet. This will ultimately build a pressure on the manufacturer to change the packaging. As a citizen of Mother earth, I urge you all to take a pledge to stop consuming product which has false packaging till the brands change there packaging especially brands like lays, uncle chips, little hearts, etc. To the FMCG companies, please find an alternative to the plastic you use in your packets. Or, at least reduce the size of your packets. I humbly request the Judiciary, in coordination with the concerned bodies, to pass a rule that defines a definite ratio of the volumetric weight of the container/package to the actual weight of the product. This would go a long way in reducing wasteful packaging not just in chips, which I have stated for instance, but also in other items as deemed fit. Your signature on this petition will hopefully help us achieve that. I do hope that my genuine concern as a responsible and well-meaning citizen of this world is heard and that we see some positive change in this direction.
