If things need to be sealed, just use reusable glass containers. When I was a kid, yoghurt came in glass jars.

But most stuff would be fine just wrapped in paper or cardboard.

Also, it's not like long shelf life is a necessity. Lots of stores manage to sell fresh goods without a lot of waste.

Sure, it won't be a trivial transition, but I'm pretty sure people would find a way.

It's just a question of our priorities: do we want to live in a dump just to make it easier for a supermarket to sell you 25 different types of pre-packaged chicken?

Glass is much more environmentally destructive than plastic; this is just a terrible idea.

Not quite sure how you arrive at that.

Unlike plastic, glass is inert. Old broken glass tends to revert to pebbles or sand after a little erosion. Sharp edges don't last long at all.

Maybe GP is talking about the energy balance? If the energy comes from fossil fuels that can be a big factor.

Not as waste surely? Beaches throughout the world are largely glassy - they are not normally considered as undesirable.

Compostable does not mean it decays under your eyes.

E.g. polyurethanes are marginally biodegradeable by fungi and still last years when the conditions are not ideal for them.