This is the beginning of my plastic free journey and I would like to state this before I start writing. I’m in no way a pro and sometimes budget gets in the way of plastic free produce. However I thought I’d share my journey so far..
My main tips for sustainable purchases –
Start a plant based diet. This may sound like me trying to get you onto the vegan bandwagon but it’s definitely a big factor of plastic use (never mind the greenhouse gases meat causes). You hardly see meat without plastic packaging in the supermarkets and you can easily get sustainable protein when eating plant based foods. These proteins include beans that usually come in tins or tofu in cardboard. Of course as someone just starts out on the vegan journey other more exciting alternatives are inviting you to try and nearly all of them are also plastic wrapped. However you can get some items such as the Linda McCartney sausages and burgers that are contained in recyclable cardboard.
Secondly look out in supermarkets for loose vegetables. I get my staples from supermarket chains which include onions, garlic, potatoes, peppers, courgettes, aubergines, banana’s and other fruit such as avocado, mango’s and pineapples. Amazingly Morrison’s have started having 100% plastic free grocery aisles with recyclable paper bags. I have yet to check a Morrison’s out but I know this will be a game changer.
Even within these choices a lot of food waste can be created. And not in the conventual out of date way. When I say this I mean items such as single banana’s that are subconsciously unwanted when people go ahead and choose the amount they require in bunches. So next time you see single banana’s on the shelves, pick them first.
Another tip is to go to multiple shops while also trying to choose as many local shops as possible. I know it’s a bit of an inconvenience and you want to just have your food bought from a single shop but different supermarkets offer different loose foods. Eventually you get to know where your favourite items can be bought plastic free and creating the shopping list gets easier. When choosing local you’re also helping the local businesses thrive.
If you can, buy dry produce that comes in cardboard boxes or bulk buy rice that comes in massive bags on the world foods aisle. Sometimes they’ll even come in material that’s biodegradable such as rope. I also find foods such as oats can be found in paper packaging such as the organic oats found in Aldi. Luckily I have a shop that does packaging free dry goods less than a minute away. There are shops especially in bigger cities that you can buy by weight and put into your own containers. Just make sure if you’re using old glass jars that you get that weighed before you put them on the scales. I can get rice, quinoa, pasta, seeds, nuts and cereal without packaging and I love how I don’t end up buying more than I need.
A great cheap way to be sustainable is to choose items in jars. From sauces to olives to sun dried tomatoes. The food also tend to last longer as they are preserved in oils and brine.
Finally something I’ve noticed from living in a town surrounded by a predominately Asian community is that Asian run markets are full of plastic free fruit, vegetables and nuts. And I mean literally without a plastic sticker in sight. Unfortunately I believe the food is often flown from further away equating to bigger plane emissions but they often have cheap prices going on. I have found that you can buy expensive fruits such as watermelon for a lot less than in a supermarket branch. Also you may want to bring your own bags as they often supply plastic bags to put the smaller items in.
At the end of the day I understand that it’s not always possible to be 100% plastic free as we are all human with desires (I couldn’t imagine giving up crisps). But I love how there is often an alternative that is better for the environment. Whether its cardboard packaging with a plastic window or fruit with plastic stickers even the tiny mindful choices are making an impact. And to be honest there is no better feeling than coming home , lying everything on the counter and knowing my shop has improved the world even if by the smallest margin.
Earthly Luna Wellbeing 