Pre-packaged foods like pasta, flour, rice, nuts, spices, cereal and other dry goods usually come in plastic packaging. It can be really hard to avoid this sort of plastic as there aren’t always alternatives in the supermarkets.
What Can I Do….???
You may have heard of refilleries or bulk bin stores…?? Well, these stores stock all the items mentioned above (and more) but they keep them in big bins. You can take what you need, put it in your own container and pay by weight. Just take along your containers and get them weighed before filling. That way, you’re only paying for the goods, not the container as well….!!!
Most stores will also have paper bags on hand if you’ve forgotten your containers. However, I find it’s easier to make a special trip to the bulk store when I need to stock up and just take all my containers in my reusable shopping bags. A set of tight weave reusable bags are very useful here too!! They’re not as heavy or bulky as glass jars and are very light weight so don’t need to be weighed prior to filling.
Some stores even offer discounts if you bring your own containers!!
Go the Extra Mile
As well as dry pantry staples, some bulk stores also offer cleaning and skincare products including dishwashing liquid, laundry liquid and body wash. You can take your own bottle, jar or your existing pump dispenser and refill from their large tanks…!!
Check out the great resource that Hannah and Liam from The Rubbish Trip have put together. You can search by region for stores that sell unpackaged pantry items!! Have a look at their Regional Zero Waste Shopping Guide and share with anyone who might find it useful.
More Ideas
