I recently had a good friend complain about all the plastic packaging she got from the grocery store. So in honor of the upcoming Plastic Free July, I’m here to break down 11 simple steps to reduce the amount of packaging you bring home. My family is by no means perfect – we still buy frozen produce in the winter, which is packaged in plastic, and we have some severe food allergies in our house so we have to buy specific brands that are safe but also packaged in plastic. Progress, not perfection, is the goal here. Enjoy these easy, not-at-all intimidating ways to incorporate some plastic-free habits into your routine to reduce waste:
- First up, don’t use produce bags! Every time I go to the grocery store I see people using these for every single item – even bananas! Hello, these come in their own packaging! People have gotten really disciplined about bringing their own grocery bags, but yet still use produce bags – I don’t get it! You have a couple options here:
- Let your produce go naked
- Bring your own produce bags
- Don’t buy pre-cut produce. At every store I go to, I see huge sections of pre-sliced and packaged fruit and vegetables. I know these are convenient, but it really doesn’t take that long to prep them yourself. And if these pre-packaged items are not purchased within a day or two, they all end up as food waste, which is a huge problem. Not only does it waste food while there are hungry people on the planet, but it breaks down in landfills and emits harmful greenhouse gases.
- Look for glass packaging instead of plastic. My son eats a ton of applesauce, and I switched from plastic containers to glass. Glass can be recycled an infinite number of times, while plastic can only be recycled once. Bonus – you can upcycle glass jars and reuse. More on that later.
- One note about buying in glass – pay attention to the prices. I had been buying white vinegar packaged in glass until I figured out that it was more than double the cost of buying in plastic. I’m all for paying a little bit more for sustainable packaging, but I’m not willing to break the bank over it. Which leads me to my next tip:
- Buy the biggest containers possible. In my white vinegar example, I opted to buy this big container in plastic rather than smaller, much more expensive options in glass. Plastic in many cases is unavoidable, but buying in bigger containers can reduce the amount of overall plastic used.
- One example here is yogurt – instead of buying individual containers, look for a larger container.
- Another example are Snack bags. You don’t have to look very far at a store to see a plastic bag full of smaller plastic bags with pre-portioned snacks. Enough! If you just gotta pack your cape cod potato chips for lunch (no judgment) buy a bigger bag and portion them into reusable containers.
- Buy in bulk. This does not mean make a huge Costco run. Buying in bulk means that you shop out of the bulk bins full of unpackaged food. These may not be available in all areas.
- Bulk items can include nuts, beans, pasta, grains, flour, snacks and even candy
- Usually items like coffee are available in bulk (bring your own bag, or use the provided paper coffee bag and make sure to remove the wire at the top before recycling or composting)
- You can also use your own jars or bags for bulk shopping (remember the ones we started saving?!). Bulk goods are sold by weight, so If you are using your own jar, go to customer service to get the tare (pronounced “tear”) weight first so they are able to accurately measure the amount of food you’ve bought. It can be intimidating at first to ask customer service to weigh your jars, but you can do it!
- Many stores like Whole Foods might have rules about if you can bring in your own containers, so I like to opt for using a cloth produce bag and then filling my own containers at home. This eliminates the need to get the tare weight.
- Shop local. There are many options for where to buy your food instead of buying everything at plastic-loving grocery stores. I know this is an extra stop, and it might not be available year round. Do what works for you. In addition to reducing plastic, you’ll also enjoy fresher more delicious food as an added benefit!
- Check out your local bakery for bread and bring your own bag or even a pillowcase for large baguettes. I guarantee freshly baked local bread will be better than what you get at Shaws!
- Go to a local Farmers Markets for produce – this helps you to support local farmers and businesses, reduce food transportation emissions and avoid unnecessary packaging like plastic clamshells.
- Bring your own container for meat. I don’t eat meat anymore and therefore don’t need to buy it, but I ate meat for 32 years and can give a little bit of guidance to my omnivore friends. Meat packaging is horrible – it’s either 100% wrapped in plastic or on a Styrofoam tray wrapped in plastic. None of these items are recyclable even if they weren’t covered in raw meat juice. Bea Johnson from Zero Waste Home brings a container such as this one and goes right to the meat counter and asks for specific cuts of meat in her own container. They will likely weigh the container and then weigh the meat separately. (For more info on why I gave up mean for the environment, check out this post)
- Look for refillable options. This idea is actually pretty retro – think about when the milkman was a thing. Bottles were used and then left on the stoop to be sanitized and reused. There may still be milk options like this in your area (one local to Boston is Crescent Ridge). And there are a ton of other companies jumping on this model as well. One of my favorites is Plaine Products, which sells shampoo, conditioner and other toiletries in reusable stainless steel containers. When you purchase a new bottle, they’ll send you a mailing label to send the old ones back. Same deal with Fillaree, where I buy my liquid hand soap and dish soap.
- Avoid shrink-wrapped paper goods. While paper towels and toilet paper may seem like absolute staples, there are actually some much better options. We use cloths instead of paper towels to clean countertops and wipe up messes. We use rags made of cut up old t shirts for some of the dirty jobs like heavy duty cleaning. We still keep a roll of paper towels around, but that is reserved for cleaning up bodily fluids (any dog owner or parent of a toddler knows where I’m coming from!). And for more eco friendly toilet paper, look for brands that wrap it in paper, which can be recycled or composted. Most grocery stores will offer this option, however my favorite is Who Gives a Crap. Not only is their packaging more sustainable, but they use recycled materials or bamboo for their TP and don’t use any scents or dyes.
- Make your own cleaning products. We used to have a whole arsenal of different plastic bottles all intended for different uses – counters, bathrooms, glass, rugs, toilets, etc. Now my cleaning routine is much easier, much cheaper, and contains little to no plastic. But save the bottles from your existing products! They can be cleaned out and refilled with your new concoctions. Here are some of my go to’s:
- White vinegar mixed with water for cleaning counters, disinfecting, cleaning mirrors, rugs and windows
- Baking soda for scrubbing, cleaning toilet bowls, sinks and bathtubs and getting out stains
- Lemon essential oil for sticky or stubborn residue
- Make it fresh! Yes, making your own recipes is going to take more time and energy than buying it prepared, but it will taste much better and will be free of plastic. I don’t do this all the time, but over the years I’ve made my own mayonnaise, hummus and pesto. One of my favorite DIY recipes is veggie stock. I use Ashlee Piper’s recipe, which I can’t find a link for, but it’s in her amazing book that is well worth the read for so many reasons beyond delicious stock! Other home cooking ideas include cookies, crackers, salad dressing, bread and sauces.
So there you have it. Pick one or two and try to implement the next time you go to the store. And if you try them out – let me know how it went! I’d love to hear.
Good luck!
eco chick 