It’s been several years since I began incorporating zero waste principles into my life, and the biggest impact I see in reducing my waste is by far food packaging. It took some time to collect various jars and bags and to adjust to a new way of shopping, but now going to the grocery store is a breeze.
What I have found that is the most helpful in making my shopping experience seamless is meal planning for the entire week. That allows me to have a specific list of everything I need, and what jars and bags I will need to pack. And considering my local shops are not so local at 40 min away, not having a detailed list and forgetting an item or container really throws a wrench in my food plan.
Below is an example of what I typically bring on my food shopping trips. I have stocked at home various sizes of glass jars for everything from small jars for spices, jars for liquids and very large jars when I am stocking up for a bulk sale item. I also have collected both mesh and cloth bags.
If you are starting out in zero waste, I would recommend getting a kit together which should include some of the following:
Shopping Bags: have something sturdy and preferably waterproof or washable.
I have some durable shopping bags from when I lived in France, but recently I got this awesome market tote from Apolis…and it’s customizable!! It holds a lot of groceries, can cary over 100 lbs, supports the artisans who make them, and is super chic.
Produce/Bulk Bags: these usually come in a pack with various sizes. I prefer to use mesh bags on produce that is usually kept wet like leafy greens, carrots, and celery, and cloth bags for dry goods in bulk bins. Some companies like Eco Bags sew the tare right on the bag, otherwise you could use a stamp or sharpie to write the tare directly on it.
Jars: these are best for wet items such as meats and cheeses, as well as very fine dry goods like flours, salts, or seeds. I recommend having various sizes, so you aren’t lugging around huge jars for smaller amounts. I have a slight obsession with Le Parfait jars, and use them for food shopping and food storage. Storing your food in airtight jars helps prolong the shelf life of the food and also very helpful for keeping creepy crawlies out…if you life in a cramped apartment in a city like NYC you know what I mean. What’s great about shopping from the bulk section and putting the food directly into the storage jar is you simply put it away in the cupboard when you get home, no transferring or packaging to deal with.
Don’t feel like you have to go all out and spend a lot of money to get fancy jars and bags. Start with what you have, and slowly build from there. A lot of grocery stores sell reusable bags for a few dollars, and you can reuse glass jars from your recycling bin. I bought all my Le Parfait jars from Homegoods, collecting over a long period of time. Even if all you can start with is a reusable shopping bag and a few mesh bags for produce, that will make a huge dent.