What are Zero Waste Grocery Stores and how they can help your Household Waste Come Down
Consumer waste is one of the largest contributors to landfills today. The average trip to the grocery store has you taking home as much, if not more, garbage as you are food. So many products contain multiple levels of packaging. It’s all too common to have food items come in individual packaging inside of a box that you take home in a plastic bag. This trash can really stack up quickly. Much of this waste can be averted by bringing your own bags to the grocery store. If you want to take things a bit further you can try frequenting a zero waste grocery store.
Zero waste grocery stores combine the obvious waste reductions of a bulk food store with further reduction coordinated with suppliers. Items are without packaging whenever possible. Most products are offered in bulk, reducing the packaging required compared to the amount of food you’re getting. Sometimes, items do require some sort of packaging. In these cases, care is taken to use recycled bale, compostable, or reusable materials. This can help cut down on single-serve plastic packaging that would surely have gone to the landfill.
The suppliers for these stores are carefully selected in order to eliminate as much waste as possible. Products are shipped in reusable containers that are returned for further use. This cooperation with suppliers can lead to significantly more waste elimination than simple consumer-side changes. This approach is proactive, rather than reactionary. One of the most important aspects of a truly environmental approach is incorporating these philosophies at every level. These zero waste grocery stores embrace this point of view.
Another way zero waste grocery stores reduce waste is by taking the idea of bringing your own bags even further. Bags aren’t the only packaging that customers are encouraged to bring from home. They also allow for customers to bring in empty jars and containers for in order to fill them from hoppers of the various products. Sauces and products like yogurt can be dispensed into your own containers, further eliminating wastes. These containers can also be used for the countless dry goods that are available. These simple steps can help eliminate a lot of waste.
In many ways these zero waste grocery store are very similar to traditional bulk produce stores. Some of the ways that waste is reduced already existed in these bulk stores in order to cut down on prices. The zero waste grocery store has gone even further and this waste reduction also reduces costs. The reduced costs are passed onto the consumer as lower prices. Zero waste grocery stores typically don’t require you to make the same bulk purchases as bulk stores. You can buy as much or as little as you’d like while still enjoying all of the perks.
This new style of grocery store is definitely worth checking out. Whether you’re looking to save money or to be more environmentally conscious, they’ve got what you’re looking for. The commitment to their environmental principles isn’t just for show. They have carefully thought out and evaluated the best ways to implement this philosophy. The results speak for themselves, these stores successfully reduce waste every single day. If there are any in your neighborhood they are well worth a look.
For information on how you can bring down your waste, increase your landfill diversion, and recycle, contact a representative at Core Mini Bins today.
