Grocery shopping feels like one of the biggest sources of waste in my life. Between packaging, food waste, and transportation, it's overwhelming. How do you approach sustainable grocery shopping in a practical way? What strategies have helped you reduce waste without spending hours planning?
My approach to sustainable grocery shopping:
1. Meal plan based on what's in season/local
2. Bring my own bags, produce bags, and containers
3. Shop bulk bins for dry goods (bring containers from home)
4. Choose loose produce over packaged
5. Buy from farmers markets when possible
6. Opt for glass or metal packaging over plastic when available
7. Buy larger sizes of staples to reduce packaging per ounce
8. Avoid individually wrapped items
9. Use imperfect produce when available (often cheaper too)
10. Compost any food waste that does occur
The biggest game changer was getting a set of lightweight containers for bulk shopping. I can get exactly what I need without any packaging waste.