Five Ways To Reduce Waste At The Grocery Store!
Easy Ways To Minimize Your Waste
Learning not to make trash is difficult. Let's face it; we have been raised in an ever increasing society of "convenience" and going against the grain is hard work. Be encouraged that there is a simplicity to shopping this way once you get used to it and that you don’t have to be extreme.
The world will not benefit from one person's perfection but a thousand peoples efforts. So do what you can because every little bit helps.
Minimize single-use plastic.
Grocery bags are the most natural place to start. Take your own totes. If you end up with one (and you inevitably will) Find a way to reuse it.
Look for packaging alternatives.
When plastic packaging cant be avoided, reuse it. For example, we like to keep sour cream around. So the containers are washed and used for lunch and meal prep. They are stack-able, dishwasher and microwave safe, It works. We also don't accumulate them very fast.
Meal plan around bulk bin items.
Look at what's available in bulk at your local store and meal plan around those options. Imagine the food pyramid; your goal is to get your foundation ingredients without packaging. This makes grains, and vegetables your most accessible options. (Which has its health benefits.)
Buy your meat and cheese from the counter.
You can take and tare your own packaging and usually the product is the same price.
Look at your spices.
Our Local health food store has a bulk spice section. If your local store does not have this option, then make sure to buy your spices in large containers to minimize the plastic. Better yet, get them in glass and reuse or recycle it.
Look at your condiments.
Condiments are hard. Ideally doing without is the easiest way, making your own is the next best thing, buying in glass is an option, or buy it in a bulk size container to cut down on packaging waste.