Infuriated by colleague that has sushi, fruit and soft drink every lunchtime

[Sazzas]

They are all plastic wrapped, with plastic fork for fruit, plastic bottle for soft drink, plastic container for soy sauce. It's like a mountain of plastic every lunchtime. Really pisses me of.

Now they are bringing in that plastic bag law however plastic bags are so thin nowadays and all the main supermarket s decompose in 2-5 years. But all this plastic packaging will not decompose for a long time.

Yes I know some will say its none of my business, but rubbish, wastefulness and landfill are my business IMO.

Rant over!

• [Message from MNHQ: please check the date of the OP. This is an old thread...]

KILL HIM

Get on to your employers and the local council about better provision for recycling plastic. Then you can nag him and people like him to recycle their rubbish.

I concede that it most people would find it difficult to make fresh sushi very day and that you can't bulk by it. What about the soy sauce though? How difficult would it be to have a bottle of soy sauce in his drawer. That would save the use of at least one tub a day. Then there is using proper utensils that can be washed and re-used. Finally, for a drink I take a sports bottle full of squash to work. There are loads of options that would help reduce his carbon foot print. Better still would be to use left overs from the fridge and have sushi as a treat!

PP are being a bit obtuse for taking the 'scream at him' literally.

You're right OP, I'm certainly guilty about not thinking about these things enough, I will try to in future.

I am veggie but that's more for ethical reasons than environmental (I know there's a crossover, but YKWIM). I don't think vegetarians have a right to lecture people on not being perfect because we are still supporting the dairy industry, which also contributes. The main thing is just doing your bit, because if everyone does then we might see a general cultural change which is what we really need to make changes.

"YABU - and wasting your own energy needlessly - to allow the packaging from a single person's lunch to infuriate you. You'd be better off suggesting that he make his own sushi (it's ridiculously easy) and fruit salad using reusable containers but I suspect he'd laugh at you (plus say he doesn't have time - which he does, even I have time to make sushi).

. . ^

Oh my goodness - this did make me giggle

Although tethersend KILL HIM did make me laugh! Yes, it's the only way.

A salad and glass of water doesn't sound very healthy.nowhere near e ough calories to sustain you from breakfast to dinner

Back to the OP

YANBU to be disturbed about excessive packaging - and even to be angry about this and passionate for change

however, you are being ridiculous to having the rage at your healthy eating colleague

A salad and glass of water doesn't sound very healthy.nowhere near enough calories to sustain you from breakfast to dinner

RTB

(Recycle The Bastard)

why the fuck ?

Because that only holds if you think a salad consists of some lettuce and a bit of tomato. And because criticising the calorie content of OP's lunch is so utterly irrelevant to the point she's making that it's quite pathetic.

A salad and glass of water doesn't sound very healthy.nowhere near e ough calories to sustain you from breakfast to dinner

Have you seen the calorie content of some salads?

We did have an enormous salad posted on here last week.

The op said nothing in her lunch was packaged - it was all fr her veg box

Even if the salad only contained low calorie veg items - maybe the OP eats the vast majority of her calories at breakfast and/or dinner? Maybe she's on a diet? Who knows? Who cares? How is it relevant to her argument?

So what did you do about your children and their impact on the environment? I suspect that their little needfuls - even if you didn't use disposable nappies - will have had a far more catastrophic cumulative impact on the environment than your colleague's lunch.

my children and my children's children

Well, I hate to tell you this, but anyone having children in the West is contributing far more towards the consumption of finite resources than plastic packaging (most of which is now biodegradable).

So I don't think you can get on your high horse about your colleague.

Oh for such a little life that what your colleague eats gets you so angry. Or maybe you should get out of the office at lunchtime, and do something to calm yourself down.

I think YABU, but mostly because it seems like you have latched onto this one issue of packaging and got really angry about it when it's just one aspect of a wider issue.

Agree with PPs that overall he could lead a more eco-friendly life than you, it's silly to judge him so harshly on this one thing.

Imagine...

All childless people feeling furious at people who have kids and contribute to overpopulation of the earth

All car-less people feeling furious at car owners for the pollution they cause

All vegetarians feeling furious at meat eaters for using the world's resources in such an inefficient and unsustainable way

I hate this kind of judgemental green holier-than-thou facism.

Bear in mind that kind of attitude is what puts a lot of people off being a bit greener. The sanctimony of it all.

Are you perfectly green in all your choices?

1. Do you have children? If you do, you aren't the perfect greenie.
2. Do you have a car/commute long distances by public transport? If you do, you aren't the perfect greenie.
3. Do you fly? If you do you aren't the prefect greenie.
4. Are you a vegan? If you are, the locavores might have something to say about the carbon foodprint of your food choices...never mind the freegans
5. Do you have a flush toilet? If you do, you aren't the perfect greenie.
6. Do you get your electricity from the grid? If you do you're not the perfect greenie
7. Do you have a mobile phone/tablet/laptop/desktop? If you do, you're no the perfect greenie. Maybe if you have a fairphone or an ancient recycled thing you might pass muster but otherwise not.
8. Do you ever buy anything new? If you do you're not the perfect greenie.

You don't know the sum total of this person's choices over their lifetime and how they compare to yours. So YABU.

If you want to do something about plastic packaging, lobby government, don't flash your judgey pants at your colleague.

I hate this kind of judgmental green holier-than-thou fascism

This

This thread is evidence if what happens to people when they live off veg box salad, plums and water. The smugness (I am sooo good) and the jealousy (but it is sooo boring) sort of fuse and explode all over the place. Tis sad

Tesco meal deal?

OP did you talk to him about it?
I don't think YABU but I suspect you don't like the chap hence you're angry
If you had a good/typical relationship with him would you discuss this with him?
What would you do or say if your best mate did that?

Well I kind of agree with the sentiment of the OP in that so much waste is shocking etc but I think her anger is misdirected. I hate waste, most people do to be honest but you can tell the fella what to have for his lunch!