In most of the world, bulk containers of grain equal insect infestation. If there is not enough turnover fast enough, there is also the potential for going stale, mold etc. So there is a need for packaging so the age and condition of a discreet quantity can be evaluated and if needed disposed of without infecting the total quantity.

In addition many plastic packages allow you to see the condition of the grains inside the package, and will maintain the inefrety of the packaging, not degrading when you store them in relatively easy to create dark and cool conditions.

I do hope there are other materials that can replace plastics, but they will be adopted more rapidly for grains, at least, when they can satisfy these needs at least. Stores won't have good reason to switch how they sell these things until they do.

It seems like we were able to store grain without plastic container for a long period of time.

My limited understanding is that plastic is more convenient and we’re used to this convenience at this point.

> It seems like we were able to store grain without plastic container for a long period of time.

Bulk (industrial/commercial) storage is pretty much free of plastic from what (admittedly little I understand). However for quantities that people like you and I - normal people in non-industrial settings - this was not solved well before plastics or else plastics would not be in common use, mostly for the reasons I described above.

> My limited understanding is that plastic is more convenient and we’re used to this convenience at this point.

If by "convenient" you mean it makes it possible to measure and sell a given quantity without having to constantly expose the grain to insects and adverse environments, then yes, but that's not usually what I'd call convenient, it's an essential factor in how its distribution is managed.

I mean… we were moving grain around before the invention of plastic, no?

Let’s say around WW1 time. It’s post industrial revolution, but before plastic.

What’s wrong with glass? Painted glass if light is a issue.

Or metal can for unique use?

Heck. Terracotta or whatever that’s called in English worked for millenniums, no? It can seal good enough.

I know nothing about the subject. But I do like glass container a lot so that what I use at home.

I have large, medium and small ones. Some are dark for stuff that don’t like light.

I live in a place build on cockroaches, and they don’t get in.

But I kinda see your point in term of logistic / distribution…

But I persist : I think we became lazy. People could bring their empty container to the shop and fill them.

But… that’s a tiny use of plastic I guess ? That shit is so convenient and handy. We should use it for exceptional occasion rather than being that cheapo disposable material.

Edit : Re: mesuring. I’ve been to hippie shop where if you bring a outside container, they tar it before pouring the exact quantity of lentil / rice / whatever you decided to buy that day.

If you need 200g only you can. If you want 2kg, here you go.

Witch remind me: those big ol bag of the depresssion era for flour? They seems to work fine. Same for the 5kg bag of rice in fabric you find in « ethnic » store

But by mass, the plastic bag is an incredibly small portion of your purchase. Plastic getting into the ocean is a valid concern, but beyond that, the rice bag is a pretty negligible concern compared to the rest of your lifestyle.

In the case of rice, you'll sadly quickly be dealing with these little critters:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_weevil