Taking on Mesh Packaging from the Mountains to the Tropics
By Veronica Espinoza, Costa Rica
When I first heard about the Don’t Mesh with Me campaign by FoCo Trash Mob, I immediately thought: We need this conversation in Costa Rica, too. The campaign urges supermarkets and suppliers to stop using synthetic mesh packaging — those thin plastic nets that often hold fruits and vegetables — and instead offer products in bulk.
Mesh packaging harms the ocean because its thin plastic strands easily break down into microplastics, its net-like structure can entangle marine animals, and its lightweight design allows it to drift long distances and spread pollution. Its bright colors and texture can also cause wildlife to mistake it for food, and because mesh bags are difficult to recycle, they often end up as litter that ultimately reaches the sea.
Thanks to the guidance and encouragement of Maureen McCarthy from FoCo Trash Mob, I was introduced to Haley Stein from the Inland Ocean Coalition, and together we began exploring how this effort could take root in Costa Rica. Curious about how the issue fits within our environmental framework, I reached out to Ricardo Morales, head of Environmental Regulation at the Ministry of Health. He confirmed what I feared: Law 9786, Costa Rica’s national law on plastic regulation, does not include these types of packaging. This means supermarkets are under no legal obligation to replace them – yet.
Which means this isn’t a dead end, it’s an opportunity. Costa Rica has a strong environmental identity, and many companies take pride in their sustainable practices. By engaging directly with people along the supply chains of supermarkets, from store managers to distributors, we can appeal to that sense of leadership and responsibility. As consumers, we have a voice to use our purchasing power to become pioneers in reducing plastic pollution and protecting our oceans, no matter where we live.
Small actions, multiplied by many hands, can ripple far beyond borders. Together, we can show that community-led initiatives, from Colorado to Costa Rica, can inspire tangible change for cleaner oceans.
You can join the Don’t Mesh with Me campaign too. Register for our next call on December 16th at 2pm EST to learn about the approach we are taking to tackle mesh packaging, and make calls to the suppliers in your neighborhood to tell them we want to Free the Fruit!
