Zero Waste Shopping
Grocery shopping in college is hard enough, but when you add zero waste to that it can feel a little overwhelming. Today I’ll be sharing some of my experiences and tips to making the process as easy and relaxing as possible.
Zero waste shopping is actually extremely fast and easy. All you have to do is stay in the produce section! No more searching every isle to find what you need. Most non-packaging items are in the front of any grocery store in their produce area. Living zero waste kind of forces you to eat healthier because most of the “bad stuff” comes in packaging.
Pro(duce) Tip: When picking out produce, try and find the items without stickers. Grocery stores actually have to re-sticker every item that the sticker has fallen off of. You’re saving the workers some time and saving the planet one tiny apple sticker at a time.
Not all produce comes without packaging.
There are many times where the kale or other leafy veggies I’m buying come with a twist tie. Instead of giving up on that item, I collect the twist ties and reuse them. I keep my twist ties and mini rubber bands in an old plastic butter container.
Don’t discourage yourself if you end up buying packaging.
I eat a ton of fruit! Before I was zero waste I bought a lot of frozen fruit for my smoothies. The packaging they came in was always plastic and unlikely to be recyled. I decided after going zero waste that it would be a great idea to go to the farmers market to buy fresh fruit at low prices while also helping local farmers. Good idea in theory....But its winter. Instead, I buy fruit in the plastic cartons and recyle the plastic. It’s not ideal but instead of limiting myself I am conscious that the waste I’m producing is much more minimal on top of being recycled.
Bring your own bags!
Not only should you be bringing your own grocery bags but it is also a good idea to bring some produce bags so you’re not grabbing 100 plastic bags from the dispensers. Contrary to what I always believed, produce doesn’t actually need to go in the small bags. You can put the veggies right into your cart or basket. I bring my own cotton produce bags to put smaller items in such as green beans, avocados, and peas. You can make bags out of old T-shirt’s or pillowcases.
Buying Meat
Most grocery stores have a deli counter with fresh fish and meats. This is where I go rather than picking up the styrofoam container in shrink wrap. There are still great deals and if you’re patient and nice the workers will help you out. I bring my own containers for this as well. The paper they wrap the meat in has a coating of plastic to keep the juices from seeping through. So this can’t actually be recycled and usually ends up in a landfil. I did invest in a stainless steel bento-box-like container to buy meat in since it can be washed easily and theres no worry about contaimination. The workers weight my container then zero out the scale to weigh the meat inside of it.
Things you don’t need as often
Things like oil, flour, spices, sugar, etc. are all things I would go to a bulk food store for. At bulk food stores you can bring your own containers (jars and cotton bags) to fill up from bulk bins. By The Pound in Ann Arbor is my go to store. Just weigh your jars before hand, or in the store at their scales, and write the weight down so the staff can keep track at check out. My favorite bulk item is popcorn which I store in a large jar and make on the stove top.
Dont get stressed if you want to buy that pancake mix or that box of your favorite cereal. It’s not about being perfect ALL THE TIME. It’s about being aware of what you buy and what you throw away. If you can help it, buy in cardboard which you can recycle or compost, or buy in glass which can be reused or recycled.
Zero waste shopping is actually extremely fast and easy. All you have to do is stay in the produce section! No more searching every isle to find what you need. Most non-packaging items are in the front of any grocery store in their produce area. Living zero waste kind of forces you to eat healthier because most of the “bad stuff” comes in packaging.
Pro(duce) Tip: When picking out produce, try and find the items without stickers. Grocery stores actually have to re-sticker every item that the sticker has fallen off of. You’re saving the workers some time and saving the planet one tiny apple sticker at a time.
Not all produce comes without packaging.
There are many times where the kale or other leafy veggies I’m buying come with a twist tie. Instead of giving up on that item, I collect the twist ties and reuse them. I keep my twist ties and mini rubber bands in an old plastic butter container.
Don’t discourage yourself if you end up buying packaging.
I eat a ton of fruit! Before I was zero waste I bought a lot of frozen fruit for my smoothies. The packaging they came in was always plastic and unlikely to be recyled. I decided after going zero waste that it would be a great idea to go to the farmers market to buy fresh fruit at low prices while also helping local farmers. Good idea in theory....But its winter. Instead, I buy fruit in the plastic cartons and recyle the plastic. It’s not ideal but instead of limiting myself I am conscious that the waste I’m producing is much more minimal on top of being recycled.
Bring your own bags!
Not only should you be bringing your own grocery bags but it is also a good idea to bring some produce bags so you’re not grabbing 100 plastic bags from the dispensers. Contrary to what I always believed, produce doesn’t actually need to go in the small bags. You can put the veggies right into your cart or basket. I bring my own cotton produce bags to put smaller items in such as green beans, avocados, and peas. You can make bags out of old T-shirt’s or pillowcases.
Buying Meat
Most grocery stores have a deli counter with fresh fish and meats. This is where I go rather than picking up the styrofoam container in shrink wrap. There are still great deals and if you’re patient and nice the workers will help you out. I bring my own containers for this as well. The paper they wrap the meat in has a coating of plastic to keep the juices from seeping through. So this can’t actually be recycled and usually ends up in a landfil. I did invest in a stainless steel bento-box-like container to buy meat in since it can be washed easily and theres no worry about contaimination. The workers weight my container then zero out the scale to weigh the meat inside of it.
Things you don’t need as often
Things like oil, flour, spices, sugar, etc. are all things I would go to a bulk food store for. At bulk food stores you can bring your own containers (jars and cotton bags) to fill up from bulk bins. By The Pound in Ann Arbor is my go to store. Just weigh your jars before hand, or in the store at their scales, and write the weight down so the staff can keep track at check out. My favorite bulk item is popcorn which I store in a large jar and make on the stove top.
Dont get stressed if you want to buy that pancake mix or that box of your favorite cereal. It’s not about being perfect ALL THE TIME. It’s about being aware of what you buy and what you throw away. If you can help it, buy in cardboard which you can recycle or compost, or buy in glass which can be reused or recycled.
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