Plastic packaging has become the norm in grocery stores around the world over the past few decades, and this accounts for a significant part of the global production of plastic waste. Luckily, in the past few years we’ve seen the rise of many shops and brands who are innovating new ways to combat unnecessary plastic use.
Most recently, Rimping, a supermarket chain located in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has gone viral after sharing photos of fresh produce wrapped in discarded banana leaves instead of plastic wrap. “As part of our initiative to become a green grocer, we have rolled out measures to reduce the use of plastic since last year,” said the supermarket’s marketing manager Atitarn Srisa-nga.
The use of banana leaves for packaging vegetables is a great way to reduce single-use plastic in this country: the leaves are large, thick and supple enough to be adequately folded, they are 100% biodegradable, and they are readily available in tropical locations.
Although banana leaves can’t be used to replace all plastic packages for grocery items, little steps make a big difference. If all countries who have an abundance of banana leaves adopt this method, it might come to really mean something. And most importantly, it should serve as an inspiration for creating similar solutions in other parts of the world.
