10 Tips for Buying Groceries Without Plastic
The majority of items found at beach cleanups are food related packaging. If you pull out your trash can, odds are most of the items will be food packaging. Buying groceries without plastic is one of the fastest ways to reduce your plastic footprint. Use these tips to buy groceries without plastic.
1. Shop the Perimeter
For most grocery stores, the perishable items will be along the perimeter and will less likely to be packaged in plastic. All the shelf stable items, usually packaged in plastic, will be in the middle aisles. Plus, if it’s shelf-stable, the food probably contains preservatives and will be less healthy for you. So, skip the middle and stick to the edges of the grocery store.
2. Choose Whole Loose Produce
Loose whole fruits and vegetables will be the healthiest, most plastic-free, and probably cheapest option! I know the cut-up versions are super convenient but you’re paying for someone to cut up the vegetables or fruit and you’re paying for all that extra plastic. Skip the convenience packs and practice your knife skills!
3. Bring Your Own Bags
I hope by now you’re a pro at remembering your grocery bags, but have you considered using cloth produce bags? I use cloth produce bags for:
- green beans
- mushrooms
- snap peas
- other smaller loose produce
If you don’t have produce bags, you can make some out of an old T-shirt, or reuse the plastic ones provided.
Also, if you’re getting bigger items like apples, onions or carrots, just leave them loose in your cart or basket. You don’t need to bag bigger fruits or vegetables.
4. Get Dried Goods From Bulk Bins
Bulk bins are an easy way to get dried goods without plastic. As with smaller loose produce, you can use your own bag or reuse the plastic ones provided. Here are a few things I get from the bulk bins:
- rice
- beans
- quinoa
- almonds
- cashews
- lentils
- raisins
Still not sure how bulk bins work? Check out this post:
5. Choose Deli Meats & Cheese
If you need more than a pound of deli meat or cheese, buy it from the deli instead of in a pre-made package. In other words, instead of buying two one-pound blocks of cheese, just get two pounds of cheese at the deli and you’ll save roughly half the packaging!
If you’re getting a few types of things, you can also ask the deli clerk to wrap it all in one sheet of butcher paper and have them hand you all the price tags.
Or you can go the extra mile and bring your own container. I ask the deli clerk to hand me my cheese after weighing it and I put it in my own silicone pouch. Then I grab the price tag from the clerk and stick it on the pouch.
6. Shop the Bakery
The bakery section has plenty of plastic-free goodies that are freshly baked and taste way better than the packaged pre-made versions. Oftentimes in the bakery case you can find:
- donuts
- cookies
- croissants
- muffins
- bagels
I will usually grab a few croissants for my kids in my own bag or find a paper bag the store has available. In the bakery section, you can also find artisan French and sourdough breads in paper sleeves.
7. Stock Up at the Butcher
Before COVID, I used to bring my container to the butcher each week to get the little amount of meat I use for the week. I haven’t been able to do that since COVID so, instead, I buy whatever I need for the month, and then freeze the rest. Here’s a post about freezing foods without plastic:
8. Buy Milk in Glass
We don’t use milk as often as when my kids were little but we still have some in the house for cereal or when my husband makes mashed potatoes. I buy milk in glass bottles. It does have a plastic cap and seal but it’s better than a full plastic bottle. You pay a $2 deposit for the glass bottle. When you’re finished with the milk, you rinse it out and bring it back to the store for your deposit back. The dairy takes the bottles and cleans and sterilizes them before refilling them. We need more refill systems like this!
9. Check Out Your Farmers Market
The farmers market has the best selection of fresh, seasonal, local produce. If you think about it, the produce didn’t have to survive a week in a truck from some central warehouse. It was probably picked the night or morning before and came straight to your farmers market. And it’s more likely they’ll let you use your own containers. I bring my own mason jars to get berries at the farmers market. It’s way better than the plastic clamshells at the grocery store and still better than the plastic baskets my berry guy has. Also, you’re supporting a local farmer and the berries are usually better!
10. Shop at Restaurants
Store-bought tortillas are usually mediocre. They come with six in a plastic bag, so you have to buy at least two and they’re filled with preservatives. Before I started making my own, I would pick up some at my local taco shop. I would ask them to bring out 12 tortillas and I’d put them in my own container. I would also get chips in a paper bag from my local taco shops.
If there are items you love at your local restaurant, see if you can buy it there instead. If they don’t feel comfortable putting it in your own container, ask if they will bring it out on a plate and you can scoop it into your own container.
What do you think? Can you use some or all of these tips? How do you get groceries without plastic? Tell me in the comments!
For related and random posts, check out:
