Reducing plastic waste is important for protecting the environment, something I became passionate about after watching a documentary on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Single-use plastics make up a huge portion of the waste overflowing from landfills and polluting our oceans, so I decided I needed to make some changes.
Bring Your Own Bags
Always keep reusable cloth bags in your car or by the front door so you don’t forget them when heading to the store.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to sheepishly ask for paper bags at checkout after leaving my reusable totes at home.
Many grocers now charge for plastic bags to discourage their use, which is what finally kicked my forgetful butt into gear.
Investing in several reusable produce bags was a game-changer too—no more feeling guilty about all that flimsy plastic!
Shop the Bulk Bins
More and more grocery stores are expanding their bulk foods sections with bins of grains, flours, cereals, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, spices, and more.
My neighborhood Kroger has a huge section that has basically turned me into a bulk bin fanatic!
Bring your own reusable cloth bags or containers and have the tare weight written on them.
This eliminates packaging waste while letting you buy just the amount you need, which for me means no more baggie of stale old spices orphaned in the back of the pantry.
Buy From Bulk Retailers
Places like Costco and Sam’s Club are great sources for large plastic-free packs of pantry staples like rice, oats, crackers, cereal and snacks.
I hit up the bulk section a couple times per year to stock up on big sacks of oats, quinoa, trail mix and such. Just remember to bring your own reusable bins to fill up—I almost always forget and end up having to get the plastic bags, kicking myself the whole drive home.
Their meat, seafood and produce packaging is more minimal too.
Choose Glass, Aluminum and Cardboard
When buying packaged foods, reach for those in glass jars and bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard boxes or cartons whenever possible over plastic pouches and rigid plastic containers.
Let me tell you, once you start looking at your cart with an eye for plastic, you’ll be amazed at how ubiquitous it is!
But those glass jars and aluminum cans do exist, you just have to scan ingredients more closely.
Plus there’s the added bonus of being able to reuse or recycle them after.
Avoid Individually Wrapped Items
I learned this one the hard way after ending up with a mountain of little plastic nitrite drink pack strawtons after a party.
Such a waste!
Now I pass over things like individually plastic-wrapped snacks and produce. Opt for larger plastic-free packs you can divide up yourself at home using reusable cloth bags or containers.
Shop at Farmer’s Markets
Your local farmer’s market is my happy place for so many reasons! You can buy fresh seasonal produce without plastic packaging from local farms.
So many of the vendors also sell bread, eggs, meat, cheese and other items you can put directly into your reusable bags. I almost never leave without a big haul of goodies and feeling good about supporting local while skipping the plastic.
Go Zero-Waste
This is something still new to me, but some grocery stores have introduced zero-waste or bulk sections where you can get everything from dish soap to pasta sauce in your own reusable containers.
Just pay by weight.
My friend just turned me on to a little zero-waste shop in our town that I’m planning to check out this weekend. I’ve also heard you can sometimes find local food co-ops or mobile grocers that allow zero packaging—the options are expanding!
It does take some adjustments to your routine, but with a few reusable supplies and smart choices at the store, you can dramatically reduce plastic waste from your grocery hauls.
Every plastic-free purchase helps reduce the plastic pollution crisis bit by bit. It feels incredible to make those small sustainable switches!
I was born and grew up in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where my grandmas, mom, and aunts taught me everything about cooking. Now, I live in the US, and I love hiking, reading, and making meals for my family.
