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Comment by cbdhsjshs | Hacker News Reader

Why should the average consumer be concerned about plastic? Plastic food packaging has been the norm my whole life.

You're asking a consumer to do what a regulatory institution should do.

A regulatory institution that’s constantly politicized and lobbied for corporations to have profits maximized will do the right thing. You are asking to be treated like cattle at that point.

You're expecting cattle not to act like cattle.

We all are cattle to institutions. Maybe you're someone that fact-checks the FDA's science, but do you also fact-check the Dept of Ed's pedagogy, or the federal reserve's fiscal policy?

We need strong institutions that act in the interests of the average citizen. You're right that we don't have that now, but fixing broken institutions is more realistic than everyone becoming genius polymaths with infinite free time for research.

I’m just suggesting ways for people to help themselves. All this “but the government should do it for me” talk while ideal isn’t something that can be accomplished today. Furthermore a consumer reports subscription is very valuable to bridge the gap and they’re entirely donation based publication (and impressively thick with information). HN readers may be interested in this article on microplastics in General Mills products:

https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-contaminants/the...

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