Sometimes there are items for sale that are so useless for purpose, so cheap and nasty, so environmentally wasteful, so morally and ethically corrupt, there needs to be a law against their manufacture.

Name them here.

Plastic fly swats that small pieces break off every time you use them.

Kids toys from the $2 shop that break in the first minute you use them!

$2.00 shop band aids - they DONT STICK!

Moisturiser that makes your skin feel tight!

Bath caddys that rust!

Oh the struggle is REAL

Vanessa

While our family still use them (for now) I have been reading lately about the environmental impact of plastic toothbrushes as apparently the plastic is so strong that they just don't break down and create long term waste problems.

I also find excess packaging at shops quite horrifying.

Agree re $2 shop kids toys that are a 1 minute wonder.

Plastic dishwashing brushes with bristles that matt (and sometimes fall out) after a couple of months use - a great wadge of plastic that can't be recycled. But all credit to the supermarkets that are now recycling soft plastics! I agree that excess packaging is a huge environmental issue, but this recycling initiative will hopefully keep it front of mind for more people.

K Mart cheap shoes that dont last - my kids chew through them in a matter of weeks!!!!
Imagine how many per year we would go through.

My oldest has a pair of $80 Vans, much better quality so we will get max 6 months out of them - BOYS!!!!

Vanessa

K-Mart and Wal-Mart.

I loved WalMart when we were in Cali last month.... for the photo opportunities

Irene Field Wrote:
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> I loved WalMart when we were in Cali last
> month.... for the photo opportunities
I agree on the photo opps. [www.youtube.com]

[www.peopleofwalmart.com]

Laurel Farmers Market Wrote:
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> Irene Field Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I loved WalMart when we were in Cali last
> > month.... for the photo opportunities
> I agree on the photo opps.
> [www.youtube.com]


Irene, is that for real? I can't believe those photos.

Chris Wrote:
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> Laurel Farmers Market Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Irene Field Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I loved WalMart when we were in Cali last
> > > month.... for the photo opportunities
> > I agree on the photo opps.
> > [www.youtube.com]
>
> Chris, the Cali one wasn't too bad but I still raised my eyebrows a few times. Once you get into middle USA the Walmarts can be like this
> Irene, is that for real? I can't believe those
> photos.

Stickers on apples!! drive me nuts - Sometimes their are more than 1 sticker on each apple. I'm not sure if they are bad for the environment but they are so unneccesary.

Halloween and Christmas decorations that you put away for the next year - then you cant remember where you put them so you buy more - I know thats really my fault!

Milk Bottle seals
Kids drink bottles
Vegetables packaged in meat trays with cling film

Ingrid, I can only agree with your last two items. The other two serve a useful purpose. Personally, I like to know where my fruit comes from, and milk bottle seals protect us from 'unauthorised access' to our bottle of milk by those who would think nothing of opening a bottle of milk and taking a swig, or worse, adding something foreign. However, I bet nobody ever checks to make sure the seal is intact before purchasing and taking the milk home!

Did you know it's really easy to remove the seal on milk bottle tops by lifting the tab and pulling it sideways across the top of the bottle rather than from front to back?

Gosh Lorna I never realised that was the purpose of the milk bottle seals. I thought some fancy person designed them and sold them as a keep the milk fresh for longer idea.

At the school I work at, a guy came in to talk to the students about the state of the waters around NZ. He was a keen Kayaker and would see lots of rubbish around and felt compelled to do something about it. I think he now has 6 boats that clean the waters around NZ. He said things like parking tickets were a problem as they fly off car windows and all end up in the ocean.

Some years ago when milk was delivered to the door we opened one put onto cereal only to find it tasted quite minty, no one could understand this until we looked closer & there at the bottom was a large green piece of partly chewed chewing gum. No one was impressed cereal bowls were binned & the culprit was never caught, some kid walking along the road no doubt.

As I walk through our local supermarkets and see the stacks of rubbishy Christmas 'goodies' already on sale my heart sinks. OK, maybe they shouldn't be banned, but talk about conspicuous over-consumption of what is essentially junk food - not to mention the sea of plastic wrappings and tinselly decorations that will end up in our landfill!