What could be better than reducing our waste by organizing ourselves to do our shopping in a sustainable way? Here is a quick zoom on the ecological essentials you need to get there!
Reusable bags
There is a range of reusable bags on the market and we will favor those which are based on compostable or reusable textiles, without plastic.
For a while now, the habit of bringing your own grocery bags has been ingrained in the community. But this is only the beginning! So here are a few more tips.
Reusable bags are the basis!
Lace bags are used both for fruits and vegetables and for dry bulk: nuts, flour, pasta , etc. As these bags are in direct contact with food and we decide to eliminate plastic, Here we will favor a design in natural cotton or hemp, without dyeing. These bags are affordable and will last for years. They are also easy to maintain: Hop! Wash with the rest of the clothes and hang to dry. At the end of their life, they can be composted.
The larger bags that we commonly call Tote bags are used for everything else: groceries, all other purchases, transporting our lunch... We discovered some time ago, a very economical and ecological way to 'have a few. You need an old t-shirt, scissors and 10 minutes. So it’s within everyone’s reach!
Glass jars
We don't need to look from noon to 2 p.m., we all have something on hand! Even if we have adopted a zero waste lifestyle and our purchases do not include any, it is easy to ask acquaintances to keep some for us. So, no need to purchase at this level.
They can be used to buy bulk items but as they are heavy, we will keep them for wet bulk items: oil, meat, fish, olives, cheese, pickles, etc. Or to transfer our bulk purchases made with our cotton bags once you get home.
Do we already have plastic jars? We keep them and use them until the end of their life! A large part of their ecological footprint comes from their extraction, transformation, transport... If they are no longer good, we replace them with much more ecological glass.
Lightweight: beeswax packaging and plastic-free bags
As we said, glass is heavy in addition to being brittle. There are some nice, sustainable alternatives for this.
For example, we will use packaging designed with beeswax for our purchases of cheese, pâté, cooked meat, etc. These packaging will also be used at home to replace plastic wrap to cover our dishes or pack a sandwich and presto, in the lunch box!
There are also wonderful silicone alternatives. These are actually plastic-free bags , so no transfer of petroleum material to the food.
They are easy to weigh, handle, maintain and are waterproof. It is therefore a great alternative for products that may sink, such as meat and olives, for example.
They can even be used for dry foods. At home, they will have a multitude of uses: freezing, storage, lunch box, cooking, etc.
There are also excellent silicone alternatives. These are actually plastic-free bags, so there is no transfer of petroleum-based materials onto the food.
They can even be used for dry goods. At home, they can be used for multiple purposes: freezing, storage, lunch boxes, cooking, etc.
Other eco-friendly tips
We therefore mainly addressed the reduction of disposable packaging during our various shopping trips. It's about having reusable packaging with us. Then, in order to reduce the ecological footprint of our purchases, we will encourage local and seasonal purchases as well as organic purchases. And if we have the space and the regulations allow it, a vegetable garden and a few chickens on our land would be ideal.
Do you have any other tips to share with us? Leave them to us in comments and everyone will have access to them.
Ecologically yours,
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