How to Make a Waste-Free Grocery Store
With the growing number of zero waste grocery stores, it’s now easier than ever to reduce your environmental impact when shopping for food. But what is zero waste, you ask?
Simply put, it is about producing fewer by-products (not necessarily zero – that is the goal). Think about all those plastic bags, all the packaging that you get at the end of your shopping trip and inevitably throw away or recycle. This is what zero-waste advocates are trying to reduce.
But is it possible to make a waste-free grocery store in popular stores like Whole Foods? Yes! Although we would call it “zero” waste (sometimes you can’t stop using every piece of plastic or paper in stores).
By making a commitment to reducing your exposure, you can reduce your packaging and packaging costs, which account for approximately 23 percent of all landfills in the United States. Here’s everything you need to know about zero waste and how to minimize your own impact when buying groceries. …
Consider your consumption
Before you start looking, think about your own consumption and shopping habits – zero waste is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.
“The first thing to do is just look at your own trash bag,” said Katerina Bogatyreva, owner of Precycle , a no-waste grocery store in Brooklyn, by phone. “This is the only way to know what to avoid and what to replace. This is an individual thing. The solution is not to wake up one day and say, “I will be waste-free,” throw away everything I have, and replace [it] with stainless steel or glass containers. This is not the best option, rather the opposite. “
Instead, just understand where you are the most wasteful. For example, if you have a lot of plastic lying around after shopping, you can help make up for that waste-free shopping by reusing those plastic bags or packaging, or buying unsealed groceries as often as possible.
Buy wholesale
One of the key components of zero-waste shopping is bulk purchasing. No, that doesn’t mean you have to buy so much toilet paper to cover your toilets and garage. This means buying foods that are usually sold in pickable containers without packaging. Whole Foods stores have entire aisles dedicated to bins, and some are dedicated to wholesale shopping (search online for your nearest wholesaler or consult Zero Waste Nerd or Litterless ).
You can find basic necessities such as sugar, vinegar, nuts, rice, muesli, and oats at wholesalers. Fashion stores may also have rows of lots of soap, spices, or pet food. How does this help reduce your influence? You cut back on the number of packages you would otherwise use in the store (and in addition, you can choose the exact amount of food that you want to prevent the food from spoiling because you could not finish it).
Bring your own containers
Ideally, the goal of Zero Waste is to reuse it whenever possible, i.e. bring your own food collection containers. Yes, you can bring your own glass or plastic containers to most stores – if you want to be sure, visit any health food store or Whole Foods.
Find someone to weigh your containers before you put anything in them so you can pay the right amount. (If you are worried that this will be inconvenient, let them know that you are trying to minimize your plastic consumption! And if you shop frequently in the store, they will get used to your requests after a few visits.) Glass jugs are the best choice, as are cloth bags for fruits and vegetables, as Wild Minimalist recommends.
Do you buy cheese, bread, meat? Present your container to the person at the counter. In the case of cheese, they can provide you with a piece without the cellophane wrap. Many grocery store bakeries also have printed bread on the back.
And of course, take a reusable bag with you to carry it all. Keep a spare bag in your car or backpack so you never go without it.
Visit farmers markets
If all else fails, there are a few things you can do to minimize your impact outside of popular grocery stores. Bogatyreva recommended farmers’ markets that allow you to buy and support local farmers and often allow you to buy groceries without unnecessary packaging.
And if your grocery store doesn’t have bulk groceries, buy as large packages as possible for non-perishable foods, she added, such as rice, muesli, or anything you eat a lot. You will reduce the packaging and get rid of a couple of trips to the store.
If you want to think even more seriously about reducing your exposure, try composting with our handy guide. And if that sounds a little ambitious, do the following and search the internet for your nearest compost site.