Creative Ways to Cut Down on Plastic Waste at the Grocery Store

It’s no secret that single-use plastics are polluting the natural landscape. Petroleum-based, these one-time use bags, bottles and wraps can last anywhere from 20-1000 years in a landfill before they finally biodegrade. 
One of the best ways to cut down on your single-use plastic consumption is to keep it out of your house altogether. Much of our household plastic comes in the form of packaging, especially from food products. Today’s blog post will be centered on specific ways that you can cut down on how much single-use plastic you bring home from the grocery store each week.

1. Bring your own containers. Glass and tupperware containers, in addition to mesh produce bags (try these from EcoBags), are excellent alternatives to the flimsy, store-supplied produce and bulk bags. While glass is preferable to tupperware, both are better alternatives than single-use grocery store bags. Worried about paying more for by-the-pound products? Don’t worry! All grocery stores are able to weigh your containers at the beginning of your shopping trip-- all you have to do is ask a cashier. Labeling each container with its corresponding weight is an easy way to stay organized between shopping trips. When you’re ready to check out, just ask the cashier to “tare” out the weight of each container. This way, you’re only paying for what you’re buying. Many reusable mesh bags available for purchase even come with the tare weight on the bag already! 
2. Buy in bulk when possible. Armed with your reusable glass, tupperware, and mesh grocery containers, buying bulk foods is another effective way to reduce plastic waste at the grocery store. Grocery stores with impressive bulk bin sections include Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Fresh Thyme, as well as most local co-ops (Seward, Linden Hills, Eastside, and The Wedge). Tare Market, in southeast Minneapolis, is packaging-free and sustainably run. Litterless has a great city-by-city list for bulk shopping in Minnesota. Bulk bins are also a great way to stock up on many of your kitchen staples: beans, grains, dried fruits, legumes, flour, and so much more. Often cheaper than traditionally-packaged food items, bulk bins are an economically-friendly way to cut down on plastic waste. It’s truly a win-win!
3. Rethink your reusable bags. While it may be easy to reach for the first reusable grocery bag available, likely made from a semi-flimsy plastic, there are some truly eco-friendly alternatives out there that go a long way in cutting down on plastic waste. Try instead to opt for a grocery bag that isn’t made of plastic at all! Look for materials including cotton, canvas, and other plastic-free options. My personal favorite is the Trader Joe’s Jute Tote (available in stores), which is made from sustainably-sourced jute and cotton materials. Unlike plastic reusable grocery bags, this one is sturdy and biodegradable. This bag is also bigger than many other reusable bag options, making it perfect for carrying your groceries in one trip, without any fear of broken handles. Don’t be afraid to get creative when it comes to grocery-carrying: I’ve seen shoppers use woven baskets and cardboard boxes to get their groceries to and from their cars and homes. Creativity counts in sustainability! If you are interested in getting even more involved in the reusable bag movement, consider participating in one of our Boomerang Bags sewing bees.  Boomerang Bags upcycles used fabric into reusable shopping bags, which are then locally-distributed to  reduce our community's single-use plastic waste.
4. Skip the pre-cut fruits and veggies. Pre-packaged produce might be incredibly convenient when it comes to on-the-go snacking, but it has two major drawbacks. The first is that it is significantly more expensive than “as-is” produce. To better illustrate this price comparison, I’ve included the prices of specific fruits from several grocery stores both as-is and pre-packaged, as well as their per ounce (oz) weights for comparison. It is important to remember that these prices are always changing, and typically fluctuate to reflect seasonal availability and sale prices. This are just reference points.

At Kowalski’s, pre-packaged pomegranate is sold in an 8oz package for $6.99 (on sale). This comes to $0.874/oz. While Kowalski’s doesn’t sell whole, un-cut pomegranates, they can be purchased at Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market for $2.99, less than half of Kowalski’s pre-cut sale price. 
At Cub, a whole pineapple will set you back just $3.99. Assuming a whole pineapple (conservatively) weighs 32oz, this brings the price to $0.125/oz. By comparison, 12oz of pre-packaged pineapple at Cub costs $4.99, or $0.416/oz. 
At Target, whole mangoes sell for $1.19 each. Assuming a medium mango weighs 8oz, this is a per ounce price of $0.149. Meanwhile, the pre-cut mango option is sold in a 15 ounce package for $5.99, or $0.399/oz.
    The second major drawback associated with pre-cut produce is that the fruit’s natural packaging-- in the form of a peel or skin -- is removed and replaced by a single-use plastic container. That pre-cut pomegranate may save you 10 minutes of time now, but the plastic clamshell packaging will take upwards of 10 years to biodegrade under perfect conditions. If cutting up labor intensive produce (read: pineapples, mangoes, and pomegranates) daily seems daunting, try setting aside one day a week to prep your produce for the week. Personally, I’ve found that dedicating a half hour post-shopping trip to wash and cut all my produce saves lots of time in the coming week or two. By taking the simple steps of slicing peppers and washing spinach in advance, you are also able to save a lot of time when it comes to weeknight food prep. And of course, by storing this produce in eco-friendly containers (see point one), you are also going the extra mile to cut down on your household single use plastic waste.

These are just a few ways in which you can use your weekly grocery trips as an avenue toward more conscious, sustainable living. But don’t be afraid to get creative: are there other ways that you can get creative to reduce your waste at the grocery store?
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Included in this article are links to examples of alternative products as well as websites with additional information. Minneapolis Climate Action is not affiliated with any of these sites. We are simply working to provide you with the information and resources needed for you to make informed, conscious decisions. 

Sincerely,
Gretchen North
Outreach & Policy Intern
Minneapolis Climate Action