Switch to Zero Waste Grocery Produce Bags
Zero waste shops use a tare system, where you weigh your packaging first, then weigh the products, and it automatically deducts the packaging so you don’t pay for it.
But even if you shop in supermarkets, it won’t cost you much to take your own produce bags. These replace plastic and paper bags at the fresh produce aisle.
It also sends a message to supermarkets that you don’t want the packaging. Some people rebelliously leave it at the checkout! Or at least just recycle it at supermarket bag bins, so you don’t take it home with you.
These organic cotton mesh produce bags are so useful. As well as being made from an eco-friendly material (so you can launder them without releasing microplastics into the sea).
And once you get home, the air holes means they keep produce fresher for longer, rather than being stuffed in plastic bags. You can even use them as mini-colanders to wash the dirt off organic produce.
Made from certified organic cotton, they also are good to keep your fresh produce separate, and they are lightweight and machine washable. Line dry.
These organic cotton produce bags weigh hardly anything. Organic cotton also helps fresh produce breathe, so it’s likely to last longer in the kitchen, once you get home. You can even use them as ‘mini-colanders’ to wash fresh produce, before serving or cooking.
How to Buy Bananas (with no plastic)
We’ve all been there, buying bananas at the grocery. The Fair Trade ones are loose, but not organic. And the organic bananas are good for the earth, but in plastic. This is because by law, organic produce has to be wrapped, if sat next to non-organic produce.
The simple solution is (if you have one) to seek out a local organic farm shop, that will likely also sea-freight the bananas too. Because everything else is organic, these bananas can be both Fair Trade and organic!
- A new report is asking supermarkets to not use so much plastic packaging, after a recent report found that the UK is among the worst offenders. With over half of all goods sold, in unnecessary packaging.
- It wants a ban on plastic packaging for everyday foods like apples, tomatoes, carrots and bananas. This follows France that has implemented such a ban on over-packaged items like fresh salads and ready-meals.
