Update 4/25/2018: The petition linked in this article has closed, but you can still learn more about why we need such petitions and why so many concerned citizens continue to initiate them.

If you buy organic fruits and vegetables at a supermarket, you’ve probably noticed that quite often the organics are packaged in plastic, while the conventional produce is loose, or only lightly packaged, like these strawberries.

Organic strawberries come encased in plastic clam shells that often have moldy, rotten berries buried in the middle

Conventional strawberries still come in plastic, but much less of it

In fact, if you walk down any aisle in the grocery store, you’ll find almost every product encased in plastic one way or another. Take a look at just a few of the products I snapped while shopping the other day.

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Do we need all this plastic packaging?

Lucky for us here in San Francisco, which I realize isn’t the case for many communities, we can choose to shop at any number of neighborhood farmer’s markets. We also have a green grocer nearby with a huge bulk section and plenty of fresh-from-the-farm produce, naked as daylight on the shelves.

So while we have options, many people across the country do not. Their only choices are to buy goods encased in one-use plastic boxes and wraps.

We can change this

The most important thing each of us, as consumers, needs to know about plastic is that we have the power to change how grocers deliver produce to us, their customers, especially organic produce.

Today, you can take thirty seconds or so and sign this Change.org petition, which calls on the National Organics Standards Board (NOSB) to ban plastic packaging on organic produce. I mean, really, who needs their bananas shrink-wrapped on a plastic tray? We’re just going to unwrap them, discard all that plastic and hang them up, right?

Now, when you follow the link, you’ll find it’s Round 2 of a petition filed last fall, which went to eight decision makers. Get the full story on the petition here: Petitioning NOP Director, Standards Division Paul Lewis (NOP Director, Standards Division) and 8 others to ban the use of plastic packaging for organic produce.

Don’t let anyone try to fool you into believing plastic is the only way to deliver fresh goods. Producers enjoy more alternatives to plastic packaging than ever before. Just take a look at these paper-wrapped, locally-grown tulips I snagged while at the same store yesterday.

Bonus shopping day! Rare to find flowers wrapped in paper, but these were today, and from a local grower to boot

Thirty seconds and you’re done, or you can choose to do a little more

There you go. Thirty seconds to lend your voice to an important cause that could have long-reaching effects on all our health. If you have a little more time, I urge you to share this article on your social media sites. Blogger? How about running up a little post? You’ll find the petition organizers very kindly provided plenty of photos to get you started.

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