Packaging Letter

For our packaging project, I chose cat food, and I later had to write a letter to the cat food company about how they could improve their product. For some reason, I couldn't send it to them by email, but I do have my letter:

Dear Sir or Ma’am from Purina Cat Food Company,
For our science project this quarter, we (everyone in the class) had to pick a normal household item to take apart and examine the packaging. Since we own a cat, I chose to take apart our Purina cat food bag. When I took it apart, I noticed that there were three layers, possibly four. The first layer was the thin plastic touching the cat food, the second was the brown paper, and the third was either colored wax paper or colored paper with a second thin layer of plastic on top.

We also had to list improvements about the packaging we picked. I thought that maybe, instead of having one entire layer devoted to plastic on the inside of the bag, you guys could shrink wrap it so that you wouldn’t waste all that plastic at the top of the bag where there isn’t any food. You could also make the bag a little big smaller and save resources that way, because when I opened my cat food bag, I realized that there is some extra space at the top where there isn’t any food at all, and all you would have to do would be to cut that extra off and use it in the construction of a different bag.

I hope that you will consider my suggestions.
Riena Harker

Reflection:

I think that supply and demand is a big factor in making mass production companies. If we want something, then they'll provide it because it brings in money. If we don't want something, we stop buying it, and companies stop supplying it because it's a waste of money to produce something no one wants to own. Companies use extra packaging to make their products look bigger - worth the amount we pay for them,and to make their products look better than they really are. We see those, and we want to buy them because of all the excess packaging that makes them look so attractive.
I think that our responsibilities as consumers are to make the right choices and demand the right things. What I mean by "right" is products that don't use too much packaging, or companies that treat their livestock decently. "Right" is also companies that are eco-friendly, or donate food/clothing/money to needy charities.
When researching about MY company, Purina, I noticed that, although Purina doesn't really do anything significantly good for the planet, it does do a lot of work for animal welfare. Purina has joined/founded a lot of different organizations such as "Pets for People", "One Hope", "Adopt a Pet", "Delta Society", and more. Most of these societies are to help people and their pets or animals that need homes. I, personally, approve of these actions and am glad we buy from Purina - this is probably what they want me to think, but I'm glad anyway.