Oh, What the Heck. One More from Dole in Plastic Wastefulness!

I think I picked on Dole before. I can't help it - when I am looking through coupons and I see the word "convenient" screaming up at me, I gotta look at it.

"Mornings just got easier  and even more delicious!"

There was no really great picture to show you the dual-plastic containers. But in searching images, I was treated to just how many Dole products are enshrined in plastic. Yay. They have those shaker smoothies - aha, I knew I picked on them! - and some products called crisps, which seem to be fruit ensconced in plastic with oats or some such in a separate plastic coffin of its own. Then they have just plain fruit in plastic. And they have these. These just-add-hot-water oatmeal with a small plastic sarcophagus of fruit above that you add in after you heat your oatmeal. Amazing company - I really hadn't dreamed of this many ways to trash the planet. They really have it together on that. It's downright admirable!

"Convenient, portable cup." And sugar, and sodium. Look, I know you barely have enough time to properly wipe you ass most mornings, but do you really think these are the best things for you for breakfast? Must you trash MY planet because you can't manage your time properly? Because you can't be bothered to feed yourself the right way? Because you can't just grab an apple instead? Because you can't plan ahead?

I know. Just move along. Nothing to see here. The shareholders of this company really need never worry. Maybe they are privately owned. I don't know. Someone's rich off our laziness, that's all I know. And they aren't going to get poor or go out of business any time soon, no matter how much of a tiny little gnat I continue to be. It's OK. I'm getting used to it.

Dole Makes It Easy

Ahhh, they sure do. Sending fruit to lunch for the kids has never been easier. Just buy and send. What could be easier?

Hmm. I don't know. How about just frickin' buying fruit and freezing it yourself? "But you can't get blueberries fresh all the time." How about that. Maybe go without blueberries if you can't get them at a certain time. You won't die. "But pineapples are really hard to cut." So don't eat them. "But I want them." You can't want them that badly if you can't even be bothered to do the work of cutting them. "But I don't have time to do this for my kids. It's easier to buy this stuff." You don't have time? Then why did you have a kid or three? Shouldn't you have the time to do something properly if you are going to do it? Are you telling me you are doing a half-assed job of raising your kids because you are too busy to do it right? Nice.Tell me I'm wrong, cuz that's what I'm hearing.

By all means, since you do not have time, please continue to consume plastic products, which increase the need for oil production, and keep buying these things for your kids to throw away, because actually they are the ones who will have to deal with the mountain of plastic garbage from their childhoods anyway. They'll only have themselves to blame. It's cool.

Yet another example of a product where we could take a second to think, "Is this really worth the plastic waste created here? Or can I do without it? Is there a better way?" But we don't.

I cannot find out what kind of plastic this is. I'm not inclined to go to a store right now to look, either. Is it #2? 5? If they get thrown away at school, I hardly think they are going in the recycling. So they are going in the garbage. Nice. Hello, Ocean. Bet you thought you had enough plastic already, huh?

Nope.

Convenient Smoothie, Juice Not Included

In line with the "Are you kidding me" theme of the week... Did you know you can just buy a plastic container with *some* smoothie *stuff* in it, keep it in your freezer, then just add juice and shake when you want a smoothie?

Dole makes "Dole Shakers - fruit & yogurt kit." Yogurt, with pre and probiotics. (I'm working out in my head how these live cultures survive the freezing while staying potent. I guess they hibernate. I'll go with that.)

It's not a packet, a plastic pouch, or an additive of any kind. It's an actual giant-ish plastic THING that you happily discard after one use. ??? Is it me?

I mean, at the very least, if you are in such a hurry, mash up your FRESH fruit before-hand and put it in the freezer and make your own. I'm guessing that is just a little too "not-easy." So, these are healthy and relatively inexpensive. But the waste-plastic is mind-boggling to me! Unless you plan on reusing every single one of these for something else (even possible???) - then there is NO excuse for this kind of waste. Oh, and don't even say, "Well, we thrown them in the recycling bin." We know where that gets you with me. We know the truth.

This is a plain simple, downright, completely irresponsible product. PERIOD. Completely and totally. Just absolutely horrific. They cannot be condoned. This is another one, if you see someone drinking this, feel free to slap it outta their hands then slap them upside the head.

Why, yes, I do practice a lot of restraint when out in public, why do you ask?

Ridiculous.