In Plastic Free July we are asking, “What can you do to help reduce your use of plastic when everything we buy seems to come packaged in plastic?”
Single-use plastics often enter the home as part of our food shopping. Let’s look at how others are seeking to change their consumer habits and to live with less plastic in their lives at the shops. Take Action and get involved.
Produce:
People doing Plastic Free July can be seen opting for loose fruit and vegetables from their local grocery store or heading to a farmers’ market or organic store where alternatives to plastic packed goods are available.
Buying plastic-wrapped or packaged fruits and vegetables can be convenient, but unfortunately it creates plastic waste. Instead, look out for loose fruit and vegetables in your local grocery store, or head to a farmers’ market or organic store where plastic packaging is less often used.
Choose lightweight, reusable produce bags instead of the plastic bags that are usually provided. Be sure to look for ones made from recycled plastic or repurposed netting fabric.
Bakery:
People enjoy shopping at local bakeries, farmers markets and even supermarkets with sections of freshly baked goods. By heading along with a reusable bread bag or container, they can avoid single-use plastic packaging.
If you forget to bring your own, you can also ask for a paper bag (which you can recycle later on if clean, or compost or shred and feed to the worm farm).
Bulk Food:
People often avoid pre-packaged food and drinks by shopping at a bulk food store, choosing the loose option at the grocery store or simply buying larger items that have less packaging per serve.
From produce to cereal, drinks to snacks, the shelves of grocery stores can be filled to the brim with plastic packaging. When beginning your plastic-free journey, this might have become alarmingly apparent to you.
Bulk and loose foods can offer a solution to this. Many people keep a shopping list and visit their bulk food store just once a month, to stock up on items such as flour, nuts, dishwashing liquid and more, in a way that doesn’t use single-use plastic.
Most bulk food stores, and many general stores have paper bags that you can fill, or you can bring your own reusable produce bags, containers, and glass jars. You, or the counter assistant, can weigh your container before you fill it, so that you’re only paying for the product, not the weight of your container.
In the news
Lucy Biggers reports on Plastic Free July and asks the question: Can individuals really make a difference when there’s so much plastic taking over our world?”
Have You Questioned Your Use of Plastic?
Plastic Free July® is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation that allows us to work towards our vision of seeing a world free of plastic waste. From humble beginnings in 2011, the award-winning Plastic Free July campaign is the result of years of hard work. https://www.plasticfreejuly.org
