Groceries - Reducing plastic consumption

Am I the only one who gets anxious while grocery shopping? I mean, besides the insane amount of people rushing about, trying to get their groceries done, I look around and see tons of people buying or using items made of plastic. Unfortunately, we aren't close enough to completely escape plastic at the grocery store but there are many steps we can take to reduce the amount we purchase or use.

One of the easiest changes we can make is to purchase some reusable bags. They don't cost much and can be found at any large grocery store. Make sure to bring some with you every time you go shopping, regardless of where you go. You can easily store them in your car or simply carry them with you if you are walking or taking public transportation. There are tons of different styles with different designs. Depending on what you're planning on buying, you can consider the following options:

• Thick bags with hard bottoms that can hold heavy groceries
• Tote bags for when you're only picking up a few things, or for when you go clothes shopping

An important thing to note is that you should look for bags that are made from either recycled materials or cotton (preferably organic). Please read the label before purchasing.

Fruits and Vegetables

The first section that you see when entering a grocery store is usually the fruits and vegetables (the best part!). A lot of grocery stores have been trying to reduce the amount of plastic that is found in this section by reducing the packaging found around the fruits and vegetables. However, people are still using the thin plastic bags to put the fruits and vegetables in.

Did you know that these thin plastic bags are not recyclable? In fact, they clog the machines which causes major disturbances in a recycling plant. There's already an insane amount of materials that need to be processed each day, and these disturbances really hinder the efficiency of these plants.

So what can you do?
Well, you can just put the unpackaged fruits and vegetables in your cart, and clean them all when you get home. Some easy examples that don't need bags would be bananas, oranges and avocados since you don't normally eat the skin. (It seems so simple yet you'd be surprised at how many times I have seen people put these items in plastic bags!) However, if you don't want to do that for items like apples, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. there are tons of reusable produce bags, also called "mesh bags" specifically designed for fruits and vegetables.

An easy place to start would be at a local grocery store, who have some ready to purchase in their fruit and vegetable section. Another useful store would be Simons, they have really advanced their selection of green products, which I will further discuss in other posts. The produce bags that I use are from Simons and they are made of organic cotton. An example can be found here. You can also order them online.

Other helpful tips

• Try to purchase goods that come in glass, aluminum or cardboard packaging instead of plastic as they are a lot easier to recycle.
• Choose unpackaged fruits and vegetables instead of those already wrapped in plastic. If they don't offer an unpackaged version, then buy another fruit or vegetable.
• Most cities have local markets, you can shop there instead of large chain grocery stores. In Montreal, you can try the Jean Talon Market, Atwater market, Fruiterie 440, Concordia Farmers' Market (on Wednesdays), and many more.
• Try to go to every now and then to places like Bulk Barn where items aren't packaged, you can fill up glass jars with loose goods (en vrac). They even offer a 10% discount to students and seniors on Wednesdays! Some of the products they offer are baking ingredients, beans and soup mixes, cleaning and personal care products, cereals, chocolates, coffee and tea, pastas, nuts, spices, etc. Pretty much the majority of packaged goods can be purchased here instead.
• Marche Tau has even introduced items in bulk and they have tons of unpackaged products or in cardboard packaging.
• Edit: Epicerie LOCO is also a good grocery store as it is zero waste and low-cost. They also have other products of interest like shampoo (locations include: next to Jarry metro; Brossard; Verdun, or in Ahunstic) 
• Edit: Vrac et Bocaux is another one that sells food that is organic and packaging free! Available at their locations are cotton or brown paper bags and mason jars.

Feel free to leave a comment or send me a message if you know of other grocery stores that have these options and I'll gladly add them to the list.

 By: Bianca Deltorto-Russell