It’s no news flash that plastic pollution is currently one of the biggest threats to our ocean’s health. It is predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish¹! Each year thousands of marine animals die due to ingesting plastic or becoming entangled in it. And a majority of plastics “recycled” are not even recyclable, and end up in landfills or back into the environment. It’s time to take a stance for our oceans and cut out single use plastics in anyway we can, and one easy place to start is at your grocery store!
Grocery stores are a major culprit for single use plastics. Whether it be grocery bags, smaller plastic produce bags, plastic containers, or the plastic wrapping over almost everything! By decreasing your plastic use while grocery shopping, you can make a huge dent in your plastic use.
So how can you decrease your plastic use while grocery shopping?
1. Bring Reusable Bags!
By bringing a reusable bag you can eliminate your addition to this problem. Not only that, but reusable bags just fit WAY more stuff; meaning less grocery bags to carry into the house; it’s a no brainer! Leaving your reusable bags in your car will make it a lot easier if you find yourself forgetting them. Click here to learn how to make your own reusable bag with an old t-shirt!
The produce bags (smaller bags used for fruits and veggies) also add up, so finding a reusable alternative for those is helpful as well. You can always just not use a bag for them too, and if you’re nervous the cashier will be annoyed, just use self checkout!
2. Avoid items that have unnecessary plastic packaging.
There are many items at the grocery store that could do without a plastic container or covering. For example: fruit that comes in a plastic covering…fruit already comes in its own all-natural covering! Or what about that package of cheese where each cheese slice is individually wrapped? Why not just get one block of cheese that’s wrapped in only one covering?! Simply being aware of packaging at your next trip to the grocery store can change your habits, and you’d be shocked at just how many options on your grocery list can be switched out for more sustainable ones.
3. Buy in bulk!
Some grocery stores allow you to bring your own reusable jars or bags to fill up with things like nuts and spices. Your grocery store doesn’t sell in bulk? Scope out your area for new places; you’d be surprised how trendy it is to sell in bulk!
4. Don’t be too hard on yourself!
Any change you make to reduce your plastic use is making a difference, and that difference adds up, so don’t beat yourself up if you can’t go completely plastic free your next grocery trip. Practice makes perfect and it will take some time to get used to, so have fun with it, and remember you’re a hero for every piece you refuse.
Learn More:
¹ MacArthur, D. E. 2017. Beyond plastic waste. Science, 358 (6365), 843.
