Target Worker Sparks Online Debate After Posting a Photo Featuring ‘Overpackaging’

A Reddit user posted a picture to show the overuse of packaging for items to deliver products. In the photo, a single Reese's Peanut Butter egg rests in a box that could have fit more than 10 of those. The post is titled, "This stuff pisses me off" while the caption reads, “This is such a huge waste. I hate it.”

While most agreed with the OP, one of the top comments gave the benefit of the doubt to the employee. The comment reads, "Same, but I try to remember a few things," and goes on to list the things that could have happened. "Guest could've made a mistake and thought they were ordering something bigger, Guest could've made a mistake and accidentally clicked a shipping option instead of pickup. [I almost did that one time. I ordered 7 things, and it wasn't until I reviewed my order that 6 were scheduled for local pickup, while 1 was set for delivery.] They could've had other items with it that got INF'd. If a Guest places a ship order, Target will keep pushing the order to stores until the entire order is fulfilled. If they order 5 things, and 1 thing gets INF'd at each store, the guest is getting 5 separate boxes from 5 separate stores."

"Thank you for the explanation. It just feels like a huge waste of manpower and stuff to me, that it's bothering me. I care about the environment and everything...So I guess it's that part of me that is more bothered," the OP writes. The picture was posted on a subreddit called, r/Target and the group says that created by Target employees for Target employees."

Target is trying to reduce packaging that will ultimately end up in landfills. In March 2022, the company launched Target Zero, an initiative aiming to promote products that came in packaging that were compostable, refillable, and reusable. According to a study, packaging is responsible for 40% of plastic in the EU, and wastage because of packaging is set to increase by 46% by 2030.

Tiza Mafira, Executive Director Gerakan Indonesia Diet Kantong Plastik, said, "It is clear that reuse is much more than simply packaging, it is a system that needs all players in a global supply chain to take part. That's why reuse needs to be right at the heart of the plastic treaty discussions this week so that the operational nuts and bolts can be agreed upon and reuse can thrive and scale," via PHYS.ORG.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 82.2 million tons of waste of generated in 2019 due to packaging. The agency estimates that over 30% of total U.S. waste is generated annually due to packaging. The number has increased rapidly in the last 50 years and is only set to increase in the coming decades. The agency also reported that only 9% of this waste is recycled.