Plastic Reduction Challenge Day 31: Discover Bulk

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Usually near the produce department you will stumble upon a section of barrels or bins filled with things like rice, beans, flour, and nuts. You may have not even noticed this before. This is our next stop in the store, the bulk section. When I talk about bulk, I am not talking about getting a membership at a warehouse. That kind of bulk can actually produce a lot more plastic waste (52 individually wrapped chip bags anyone?). It isn’t all bad, and it may be your only option in the area where you live, but what I really want you to discover is the type of bulk buying where you bring your own container to fill and purchase just the amount that you need. You can save on packaging, cost, and reduce food waste this way. Now, this isn’t for everyone. Those with allergies need to be careful and not everyone has access to this kind of buying, but take this challenge and find out if it is right for you!

Today’s challenge: The first step is to search https://app.zerowastehome.com/ and https://www.litterless.com/wheretoshop to find a location near you that sells bulk. This is not an all-encompassing list, so be sure to look at your usual store if you don’t see it listed here. If there is nothing nearby that gives you bulk options, that doesn’t mean you can’t participate. Search for a food co-op in a city near you and plan to check it out the next time you go that way. But if you truly live in a bulk desert, I recommend buying the largest bag of rice, flour, or other dry good that you commonly use. I don’t suggest this for perishable items or things you don’t use often since they will probably spoil before you can use it all. Later this week we’ll also talk about other options for lower waste pantry items.

The second step is to educate yourself on how to bulk buy. Now remember all those jars and containers I asked you to start collecting back on day #5 of this challenge? This is what you are going to use to hold your bulk items. You can bring containers/jars right to the store or use a cloth bag to purchase dry goods and then transfer to a container at home. I love these cloth bags that cinch tightly and do not have any plastic parts. Bags are often easier to use at the store than jars since they are lighter to transport. Then you can pour the contents into the containers at home, wash the bags, and stick them back into your grocery store kit.

Here is the usual process to buy in bulk at the grocery store, but be sure to check with the staff at your local store for specifics:

Bring your containers or cloth bags to the store. Some stores will not allow you to bring your own containers. In that case, you can reuse the plastic or paper bags they provide (and then let them know how displeased you are about this!)
Weigh your containers/bags. The front desk staff should be able to do this for you. Many stores also have self-serve scales in the bulk section.
Write the weight on your container/bag. This is called the tare weight and the cashier should be able to subtract it at check-out so you don’t pay extra for your items
Fill your container with your chosen item
Depending on the store you are shopping, you may need to take an extra step and weigh your filled container yourself then write down the weight.
Write the PLU# on your container so the cashier knows what to put in the computer.

That is it. It feels weird at first to bring your containers, but the more you do it, it is just second nature. This is bulk buying in a nut shell. Each store may have a slightly different process. You can also ask a store employee to help you figure out how it works. This week I just want you to get acquainted with it. Use the links above to find a store near you with bulk bins, then go check it out. Scope out one item that you would normally purchase in a plastic package. Then when you get home, see what containers you have that would work for buying and storing. Add the container to your grocery shopping kit that you made at the beginning of this week. Write your chosen bulk item on your shopping list for next week so you can try it out. Lastly, let me know your experience!