A Target shopper lambasted a popular fashion brand on Reddit after discovering it had partnered with the retail giant for a surprising and overpriced collaboration — and the internet was quick to agree the product was "infuriatingly out of touch."
What's happening?
In the r/Anticonsumption subreddit, the shopper shared an image of Kate Spade x Target- branded trash bags. The retailer priced the 15-count polka-dot set of 25-gallon bags at $10 (excluding tax).
"I don't even know what to say anymore," the poster wrote in defeat — a sentiment numerous other Redditors shared and weren't afraid to express.
"Five gal short of normal kitchen-can size and you only get 15 of them for $10??!? Come on Target," one person said in astonishment, while another added: "Who gets paid to come up with these ideas? I have so many questions."
Why is this important?
The Kate Spade x Target collaboration is one of many instances in which a brand has produced an overpriced product with questionable demand — potentially leading to sunk costs for businesses while creating long-term environmental harm.
As one commenter noted, the trash bags, which are made of plastic, required time, energy, and money to manufacture and transport, causing them to wonder, "How did this get green lighted?!"
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The fact that trash bags are made from plastic is of particular concern, as people are being inundated with more plastic than at any other time in history. As Our World in Data explains, the world produced a mere 2.2 million tons of plastic in 1950.
Today, it produces nearly 500 million tons annually of the dirty fuel-derived material that can take more than 1,000 years to break down — in the process becoming tinier and tinier microplastics that contaminate waterways, soil, and air and make their way into our bodies through inhalation and the food supply.
While researchers are still investigating the link between microplastic exposure and human health, studies indicate it is associated with cancer, dementia, reproductive issues, and more.
Is Target or Kate Spade doing anything to reduce plastic waste?
Target describes itself as an activator in the U.S. Plastics Pact — a coalition of businesses, nonprofits, research institutions, and government agencies that look to reduce plastic waste and keep existing plastics in circulation through reuse and recycling.
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Yes 💯 According to the retail giant, the plastic bags in its checkout lanes are at least 40% recycled plastic, its clothes hangers are repaired or renewed to maintain a "waste-free loop," and its recycling stations have helped its consumers recycle millions of pounds of plastic since 2010.
As for Kate Spade, it was acquired by Tapestry (the owner of Coach) in 2017. Tapestry said in its 2024 corporate responsibility report that eliminating waste and pollution is one of the key principles in its circular strategy to minimize harm to the environment. The company has incorporated recycled plastic into some of its products.
How can we hold companies accountable for plastic waste more broadly?
Despite the controversial decision to include trash bags as part of the Kate Spade x Target collection, the designer litter receptacles appear to have sold out, which at least means the energy that went into making the products wasn't for nothing.
However, with a variety of commercially compostable trash bags on the market, it's worth raising the question of whether the resources could have been better spent elsewhere.
The situation also highlights how consumers can use their purchasing power to communicate to companies that they'll reward them for sustainable choices. When a decision that is not environmentally friendly proves to be profitable, brands can be encouraged to continue down that path.
Supporting eco-friendly initiatives from mainstream brands and buying plastic-free products are ways you can put your dollars to work to support public health and the planet.
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