How to shop without plastic packaging?
So bar carrying out a Plastic Attack in the UK where we leave all the plastic at the shop and take just the food home, can we change the way we shop in order to avoid all this packaging in the first place..?
Well we can certainly try. First we are going to need a few things.
1. A few large reusable preferably plastic free shopping bags.
2. Some reusable small produce bags, again plastic free
3. Some alternative habits and ideas.
The key to plastic free shopping is simple, choose products that contain either no packaging or packaging which is non-plastic and is easily recyclable.
We grab a trolley, enter the shop and usually start by entering into the fruit and veg section. This is the first opportunity to avoid plastic. Choosing only the loose unpackaged fruit such as apples and bananas and veg such as carrots, instead of putting them into the small plastic bags provided we either put some items straight into the trolley e.g bananas or utilise our own small reusable bags to pack these items to give them some protection.
Next we head over to the Delicatessen where we can buy some cheese and olives etc. Ask the assistant not to wrap the items but instead if they can put them straight into your reusable containers.
Now if your a meat eater then head over to the butchery section and again the meat can go straight into your special containers.
At the fish counter get the assistant to avoid using a plastic sealing machine to add packaging to the fish you want and instead again use one of your reusable containers. Once weighed by the assistant they can put the fish into your container and then stick the price code to this. You could even get them to pack the fish in ice to keep it fresh for the journey home!
Any tinned food or food in glass jars is now on the menu so shop at will.
Pasta is going to be a hard find without some plastic packaging. If your a real pasta fan then why not think about making your own? Its fun and really easy to make and there are plenty of reasonably priced pasta machines out there that allow you to make all the shapes!
In a few supermarkets such as Lidl you can find loose items such as nuts which you can fill up your own containers with. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE FUTURE OF SHOPPING! There really should be more and more food available in the loose form, We just don’t need packaging in a many of the items of food we purchase. Manufacturers may think they are missing out on the advertising space that the packaging gives. Well why not just advertise on the lid of the container in the supermarket which holds the loose product?? Once we have chosen to purchase the product then its job done..no? How about the negative advertising of seeing that brand name on packaging which has been left lying discarded on a beach or which is now floating down a river into the sea?
Next to the bakery, a simple cloth bag is all you need to keep your bread protected, One of my pet hates are the french bread bags that have the little plastic window in them. Come on do i really need to see the bread through the bag? Especially when the bread is easily visible sticking out of the top! As these bags are a mixed material they are not recyclable, also one false move and your bread just shoots out of the bag and onto the dirty floor in the car park. Not the case when using a cloth bag.
Areas of shopping where you may struggle to find products without packaging is going to be cleaning, washing and personal care sections. There are natural alternatives to using these often environmentally unfriendly products, Just using vinegar as a cleaning solution often works just as good or even better than these nasty chemicals, do a bit of research on the internet to find alternatives.
Soap is better than shower gel, It lasts longer and doesn’t come in a big thick plastic container!
Finally when we are done we head to the checkout, here we have two options.
1. Pack everything into your reusable bags at the till and then place back in your trolley. This takes time and can be stressful when its busy and the next customer is giving you a look of impatience.
2. This is what i do all the time now, its simple and revolutionary… As the assistant scans the items just take them and casually place them straight back into your trolley. Then pay for your shopping and stroll to your car. Open the boot where you have either some bags or better still some boxes waiting for you. Pack away your shopping at your leisure! You can even do this with a basket just let the assistant know your going to bring it back once you’ve been to the car. Its so much easier than faffing around at the till trying to pack everything into bags. After trying this once you’ll never go back!!
By trying to avoid so much plastic packaging when we shop we will send a direct message to the supermarkets and also to the food manufacturers that we no longer want to buy our food in this way. As trends of purchasing decisions change then big business will have to, if they want our custom, follow suit and provide the consumer with a more environmentally friendly shopping experience to keep up with demand.
