The Poorly Packaged Meat Snack We're Never Buying At Costco Again

Nearly three-quarters of Americans surveyed in 2018 say the design of packaging influences them, and roughly two-thirds also think that packaging material is similarly influential (as per a survey by Ispos). Attempting to create the world's best snack packaging is all part of creative marketing, but businesses are run by people, and people occasionally make some not-so-great decisions.

This is perfectly exemplified by the Greenridge Naturals Original Beef Sticks one Redditor found at their local Costco. Through clear plastic panels, you can see the individually packaged sticks positioned vertically, making them seem like they stretch top-to-bottom in the resealable bag. But, as soon as you open the bag, you find each stick is merely a couple of inches long and only weigh an ounce.

While the packaging does note that the sticks weigh one ounce each, it's noted in itty bitty font on the bottom of the bag. There's technically no wrongdoing because of this labelling, but the packaging is no less misleading and frustrating. The good news is that skipping these on your next Costco trip is among the laziest ways to help save the planet. 

Being misleading isn't the only black mark against the Greenridge Naturals Original Beef Sticks packaging. It also uses an extraneous amount of plastic, with each beef stick's plastic wrapper being barely half full. Considering the plastic used in food packaging accounts for a big chunk of the plastic pollution in our environment, the extra plastic on these beef sticks adds a bit of environmentally conscious bitterness to them as an aftertaste. 

Finally, another reason to skip buying these beef snacks on your next Costco trip is that — frankly — they just don't look that filling. At only 80 calories per 1-ounce stick, having just one probably isn't going to scratch your itch for a snack. So, you need to either eat several at once (which makes the individual wrapping feel even worse) or you can include one on a snack plate. 

Costco does seem to sometimes carry Greenridge Naturals Original Beef Sticks in another size — 3-ounce sticks in packages of 12 that look less wasteful. So if you love this brand for the taste, look for those, or there are plenty of tasty snack options on Daily Meal's list of 14 Costco food items you'll wish you knew about sooner — so maybe opt for one of those instead.