No Bulk? No Problem | Low Waste Swaps
November 01, 2020
Sadly, bulk stores aren't available for everyone nor everywhere, but that's no reason not to shop sustainably. My local grocery store has a few bulk options, and there are a few bulk stores around the city, which I'm lucky to have access to, but there are still lots of products unavailable and also a few I can't afford, so here are a few of my tips on how I do my shopping sustainably without bulk options.
You'll be happy to know that buying in bulk isn't the only way to shop sustainably, there are more things to consider when trying to be mindful of your waste while grocery shopping.
Materials Matter
When buying your groceries make sure they come in metal, paper, cardboard, or glass, as all of these are not only easier to recycle but also can be recycled indefinitely. Buy your condiments in glass jars, flour in paper bags... While recycling should be our last resort, it's better than buying something in a plastic container that may end up in a landfill.
Size Matters Too & So Does Repurposing
And while still on this topic, buy the biggest size, if you're tied between buying two small tomato sauce jars and a big one, always go for the latter, more often than not this will be the cheapest option but also it takes less glass to make a one-liter jar than it does to make two half a liter ones. If you're scared it will go bad before you use it up, simply freeze it and save it for later.
Plus, those big tomato sauce bottles can be great little helpers when making your own cleaning products, and so can jam jars when storing your homemade lotions, deodorants (link for my recipe here), etc. Another way I like to repurpose is by using my smaller flour bags to absorb any oil whenever I fry something, and the bigger ones I can turn over and use them to wrap gifts, or even sandwiches when going on a picnic, no need to waste.
Naked is Better
I know not all countries are lucky enough to see their produce laying naked on the shelves, but in Portugal, most of them are (except for the bio veggies and fruit, what's that about?). Most times I take my own bags (Produce & Shopping Bags post), but I use them mostly when buying several pieces at the same time, it's not very handy to carry six bananas and eight apples around the supermarket without bags, but any cabbages, lettuce or single products I actually forgo the bags, simply washing them thoroughly once I get home.
Local & In-Season
Buying locally, or simply within your own country, can be a huge way to shop sustainably. For years, I have always looked to my produce's tags to see where their from, and I make sure I buy Portuguese products most times, even from my hometown if I manage to go to the farmer's market. I used to only do this with fresh fruits and veggies, but I've started to look for that tag that says "Made in Portugal" in almost every product I buy, which means my carbon footprint is growing smaller every time I shop. That's not to say I'm perfect, just last week, at the height of period cravings, I bought some cookies made in France, but that's not a very occurrent event, so I don't beat myself up about it too much.
Something I'm also trying to be better at is buying in-season, maybe I'm craving strawberries in January, but I'll ignore those cravings until June when I can get them in-season, as I'm aware that it takes a lot of energy and resources to grow things off-season. And if I can avoid them, I wouldn't I?
I hope this little post has helped you see how easy it can be to shop sustainably when no bulk stores are around, let me know if you have any further tips on the matter that you can share with everyone else!
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