Does the term ‘plastic free shopping’ conjure up images of a life spent eating solely dried pulses and nuts?
Give single serves a swerve
It seems like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to accidentally pick up a bag or box that’s filled with wrapped sweets, or single serves of miso soup. Carefully read the outer packaging if you’re unsure.
Buy big or go home
Whether you’re shopping for TP or tea bags – if it works with your budget and storage space, buy the biggest amount/largest container you can. This works best for non-perishable items you use often, like laundry liquid, body wash, cooking oil, and dry goods.
Incredible bulk
For an artful wholefood filled pantry that’s sustainable and ‘grammable, packaging-free bulk shopping is becoming widely accessible – in Auckland we have GoodFor, Refill Nation and Bin Inn stores. Kit yourself out with cute Weck or Mason jars, or start saving the jars and lids of food you’ve already eaten.
Tip: You can now refill your favourite ecostore liquid products at 75+ refill stations around New Zealand.
Contain yourself
Some supermarket deli, seafood and butchery departments now let customers bring their own containers. Next time you shop, bring clean containers with well-fitted lids and ask at the counter.
Nude food
In the produce aisle, look for unwrapped fruit and veges and pop multiples in mesh bags or even reuse clean plastic bags. Farmer’s markets could be a useful source of packaging free produce too.
Bring a couple of extra reusable bags you’re not attached to, so you can help a forgetful fellow shopper out. What goes around comes around.
ECOSTORE, 1 Scotland Street, T: 09 360 8477, www.ecostore.co.nz