Avoiding waste while grocery shopping

One of the most frustrating things about switching to a zero waste lifestyle is grocery shopping. It’s difficult to find products that aren’t wrapped in plastic or are harmful to the earth. I would love to start shopping at a co-op grocery store where you bring your own containers, but I’m still on a college budget so for now, Walmart will have to do. Here are the five main ways I avoid waste at the grocery store.  

Reusable shopping bags

Using reusable shopping bags is something I implemented a while ago, before I decided to start living more sustainably. It’s a very easy transition to make and it saves so much plastic!

I didn’t buy any special reusable grocery bags, I just use totes that I have or free grocery bags I’ve accumulated over the years. If you aren’t a bag collector like me and don’t have anything to use, reusable bags are pretty cheap and they come in pretty patterns now, so it’s not a difficult switch to make.

For the times when I slip up and forget my reusable bags, I just stash my plastic bags in the storage closet and use them for trash can liners in my bathroom.

Avoid fruits and veggies packaged in plastic

When I grocery shop I try to avoid buying any produce that’s been wrapped up in plastic. If I want apples for the week, I buy them loose (I won’t eat a whole bag of apples anyway). If there’s a veggie I want that is only available in a plastic bag, I just choose a different vegetable to eat that week. Some of my favorite plastic-free (or nearly plastic free) veggies are peppers, broccoli, asparagus and cucumbers.

Buy the ugly stuff

One of the easiest ways to produce less waste in the grocery store is by buying things that will otherwise be thrown out: imperfect produce. All the “ugly” produce left on the shelves at the grocery store is tossed in most cases, which is going to contribute to greenhouse emissions. The blemished produce tastes the same and gives your body the same nutrients, so why not prevent that perfectly good produce from going to waste?

Eliminate produce bags

There’s honestly no reason to wrap your produce in plastic just to take it home, unwrap it, and toss it 30 minutes later. I’ve never used produce bags because growing up my mom always told us it was wasteful, so I don’t have any issues with tossing my produce into my cart loose. If you don’t like the idea of having your produce loose in your cart, pick up some reusable produce bags to bring to the store with you.

Buy in bulk

Smart consumers buy in bulk. More often than not, bulk options save you money. Better yet though, they always save on plastic consumption. Buying one bag of popcorn kernels and popping it on the stove reduces the bags, plastic wrap, and box that individually bagged microwave popcorn produces, for example.

Shop local

Some things shouldn’t be bought in bulk, or you just can’t. So I try to shop local as often as I can, if it’s affordable. I like to support local businesses, so I splurge every now and again on things like honey or coffee. I buy honey from a shop in my hometown that fills glass jars.

Cardboard and paper > plastic

If I’m purchasing a product that has two options on the shelf, one packaged in plastic and one in cardboard or paper, I’ll always choose the paper option. Cardboard and paper can be recycled, it won’t last as long in a landfill and it’s compostable. Sometimes it’s a bit more expensive to buy the product in the more sustainable packaging, but to me it’s worth it.