Thursday, May 19, 2011

Reducing plastic at the grocery store

Something that bothers me is the amount of plastic waste that is created. One place where we have made adaptations for reducing our plastic waste is at the grocery store. It is amazing if you look in a grocery cart to see all the produce, meats, dairy, and pantry products that are packaged with plastic. Here are changes I have made to reduce.

At the deli: Instead of getting deli meats in plastic bags, I ask the employee to package it in brown paper. At first the woman was taken aback by this request, but they have been more than willing to accommodate this request.

In the produce: I have bought mesh bags that I put my produce in, rather than using the plastic bags stationed around the produce section. There are a variety of options available, but to review the ones that I bought.
From Amazon (dot)com, I purchased the Flip and Tumble 5-Pack Reusable Produce Bags. These bags are a great size and are easy to throw in with our reusable shopping bag or even my purse. The color coded tabs are helpful at identifying what types of produce is put in them. I organize them to put my organic fruits and vegetables in certain ones and the non-organic in others. When soiled, they are easy to throw in the wash. It is recommended to wash it on the delicate cycle.

Image from www.amazon.com





For groceries: I try to focus on buying things in bulk. This helps reduce waste as well as usually is more economical in price comparison. When there are limited options and plastic is it, such as yogurt and milk, we put them in for recycling.

At the check out: I use reusable shopping bags for all of my shopping trips. After unloading the groceries, I put them back in the car beside the car seat, so that I am less likely to forget them. Though after a while, it becomes a habit and it is very rare that I forget them. When I do, if I have the option for paper bags, I request them. If not, the bags are recycled.


I am always seeking out alternatives are reducing waste. I would love to hear your ideas that you use to help reduce waste. 

1 comment:

  1. You can completely eliminate yogurt containers by making your own! It's really easy, delicious, very economical, and you know exactly what's in it! Here's the link to the recipe on my blog:
    http://simplewifesimplelife.blogspot.com/2010/09/homemade-yogurt-in-crockpot.html
    I'm actually making a pot of it right now!

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