Unwrapping the hidden cost: How junk food packaging chokes our streets, soils, our Earth and demands urgent action.
My photos didn’t just show litter—they caught the truth. Snacks we love—wrapped in plastic—are choking our drains, streets, and soil. When food pollutes, the problem is on our plate.
Everywhere I looked—gutka wrappers, chip packets, soft drink bottles—junk food packaging ruled the roads. Most of it? Non-recyclable. A local sweeper told me, “This plastic returns faster than we can clean it.” In Kochi, over half the litter is food waste or packaging. A study by FSSAI links single-use plastic to soil toxicity and marine damage. My photos show the truth: wrappers on fences, cans in puddles. Junk food is eaten in minutes, but its waste pollutes for years.
One click can capture what words cannot. My photos aren’t just images—they’re warnings. Can food still be “good” if it scars the planet? The real junk is what we leave behind.
(Photo & Video credits: Contributed by the author)
Judge’s comment: Well written and the quote is a good touch. But lead can be better. Good video but interview and field visit aren't prominently featured.
This entry was submitted on 25th April 2025 and won the second prize in the Class 9–10 category of the Cub Reporters Contest. The contest invited budding journalists to take their passion for the environment to the next level—raising their voices on critical food-based environmental issues while gaining hands-on journalistic experience. Participants ventured into their local areas, investigated ongoing crises, and filed stories from the ground up. The best entries are published here to showcase their work.
Student of Class 10, PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ernakulam, Kerala
