Zero waste grocery shopping
Aiming to be zero waste in your grocery shopping routine can be one of the largest opportunity areas to reduce your waste, yet also one of the most daunting tasks if you aren’t used to the idea of bringing your own containers and bags to the store, or if you don’t have access to bulk in your area. With this in mind, I’ve had the pleasure to collaborate with Alli Cherry, who is also living a low waste lifestyle, to bring our best practices for zero waste grocery shopping in this guide.
Take a look at the videos and tips summarized below — my video above covers the 5 essentials of prepping for a zero waste grocery trip, and Alli’s video below covers how to shop with less waste if you don’t have access to bulk in your area. Before we dive in, I wanted to also list out some of the things we like to pack, or have heard of from other zero wasters. The products below are the same or recommendations of what I might use.
What I bring to shop
These have bottle sleeves to keep your jars organized
Or use paper bags if you don't have a tare system in your store
Reusable containers
Tiffins, jars, or whatever you already own
Something to label your container
Refillable whiteboard markers, a china marker, or sharpie works
My five essential tips
1. Plan out what you need
Take inventory of what you have
Know when you’ll be eating out during the week to avoid overbuying
2. Prepare to bring containers
Call your store beforehand to determine if their bulk section is container friendly
If they do not have a tare system at their register (and won’t be able to deduct the weight of your container when checking out), you can use lightweight cloth or paper bags
Plan out how many containers you need and of what size
3. Packing everything
Organize your grocery bag so you have your empty containers and produce/bulk bags in order
To organize the jars, some people also like to use wine bottle carriers
4. How shop the bulk section with your container
Use refillable whiteboard markers, a sharpie, china marker, etc. to label your containers
Before filling up, make sure you know the tare weight of each container (weight of container when empty) so the cashier can deduct the weight at checkout - you can do this at customer service/the cashier in the store to know whether they charge by oz. or lbs
When filling up on items, mark the lid of the container with the product stock keeping number and the tare weight of the container
Use wide mouth containers to avoid spills
Cloth bags are also a great option for dry items like rice, grains and beans
Be aware of not putting your container into bulk bins or cross contaminating — people with allergies especially will thank you for keeping the items clean
5. Buying over the counter
When purchasing from the deli or bakery, remember that you may be encountering a store employee who may not be used to the concept of customers bringing in their own containers
Smile, ask kindly, and walk them through if they are new to it
Make sure your container is clean
If the process is too confusing, you can ask them to weigh the product alone, and keep your container on the side until they have the sticker printed with the price of the product, asking them to put the item in the container after they are finished, instead of a plastic bag
Alli’s bonus tips for conventional grocery stores
1. Consider materials
Favor items packaged in paper, glass, and metal over plastic, but do know the other environmental factors of these materials — for example, plastic uses much less energy when manufactured compared to glass, due to its lower melting point
Visit or contact your local waste facility to determine what materials are most readily recycled in your area (it varies by region).
2. Buy big quantities rather than small, individualized packages
If you’re unable to finish large quantities, you can also find neighbors or friends that may be willing to split large items with you
3. Bring your own produce bags and shopping bags
Choose light fabrics that don’t need to be weighed, especially if your store doesn’t have a tare system
You could also use a small paper bag instead (may need to bring your own)
4. Buy in season fruit and vegetables
In season goods are fresher, less expensive, and usually more local so are a great way to lower your food emissions, and also reduce on packaging, since the food doesn’t need to be protected if it’s coming from a closer farm
5. Utilize online bulk shops
Azure Standard or Nuts.com may sell large quantities of dried goods in paper packaging
For non-food items, there is also Refill Revolution, Refill Shoppe, Bring Your Own Long Beach, or Package Free Shop
Again, split with friends, neighbors or family if the quantity is too much
6. Know how to recycle
Check Earth 911 for recycling centers near if you if your city doesn’t offer curbside on how to recycle items, and utilize store drop off programs like thin plastic recycling which is often available at Target or grocery stores
See what options TerraCycle is offering for tough to recycle packaging/products
