Zero-Waste Shopping Deconstructed – What Can You Expect?

The notion of zero waste shopping has exploded in the last few years and is the latest solution to arise from our 50 year battle with our pervasive plastic products. It wasn’t until fairly recently that plastic bags started to dominate supermarket shelves. In fact, it wasn’t until the mid 1980s that plastic shopping bags really became mainstream and today it seems impossible to buy anything without it being encased in some kind of film, packet or plastic-coated box posing the question: would you like some food with your plastic? The zero-waste movement has arrived not a second too late at a time where Americans create an astonishing two kilograms of rubbish a day, much of this being derived from food while before the plastic bag levy in Europe, individuals living in EU nations consumed an astonishing 198 plastic bags a year! The time has come to change our ways before any more pointless packaging flows into our oceans and with rustic plant-filled zero-waste shops popping up, now seems the time to overhaul our relaxed habits. So what can we expect from a zero-waste shop?

Zero-waste shops have actually been around for a surprisingly long time, with Australia and Germany several years ahead of the trend while the odd little store that did exist in other countries was tucked away down tiny lanes in our more free-thinking communities. Now the idea is becoming almost mainstream with several online interactive maps showcasing their location so you can always find one near to you. These shops may not have the range of items your local supermarket does but they do contain a wide variety of staple products such as pasta, oats, seeds, nuts, rice, dried fruit and herbs and spices. Many also contain a liquid section complete with large vats of washing up liquid, washing detergent or shampoo whilst some also stock a small range of sustainable goods such as bamboo toothbrushes, plastic free dental floss and metal water bottles. At larger bulk buy stores common in America and Australia, they may also have local and organic fruit and vegetables as well as refrigerated products.

You may want to start small and simply pop into your nearest store just to browse and take a sneaky peak at what items they have available before committing to a full-on shop. Once you are ready to commit, load up your reusable shopping bags with any kind of containers you can lay your hands on, whether that be Tupperware, paper bags, mason jars, boxes, cotton bags or even simply washed out glass sauce or jam jars. If you’re running low, many of these shops have reusable containers readily available for purchase. However, be wary of using the endless paper bags they may provide as the term recycling can be misleading. Whilst paper bags can easily be recycled, the process really downcycles products, creating new items of lower quality which still only have a limited number of useful lives. To restore recycled materials to their former glory, brand new virgin materials still have to enter the mix, throwing your zero-waste shop right off track.

Once you arrive, you will have to weigh each of your containers on the scales and note down their weight. Understandably, this all sounds like a rather large faff but you only have to weigh the containers on the first shop if you label each one with their weight. Next, it’s time for the scooping, pouring and shovelling fun to begin as you fill the jars from their large barrels of food. Liquids often have a large pump to easily allow you to fill your container without it all cascading over the floor and this whole process is a great way to keep kids busy and entertained whilst shopping, sneakily stopping them eyeing up the sweets in the process. Once filled with however much of each item you want, all the containers are re-weighed and the original weight of the container is deducted so you only pay for the food you want. Again, this may sound like a lengthy process but remember, many bakery goods and loose fruit and vegetables are measured in this way even in supermarkets.

One of the trickiest parts is calculating how much everything will cost as prices are given per kilogram. This will remain a bit of a mind bender for the first few shops but soon you will know exactly how much your regular dose of coffee will cost. The whole kilogram system may make some items appear extortionately expensive, tea for example, but due to its light weight, a whole kilogram of tea leaves will actually last you a substantial number of brews. Zero-waste shops are often branded as expensive but actually the prices remain slightly higher because a lot of their produce is organic. Shopping this way could actually help you save money however, as it allows you to buy exactly how much you need. Does the recipe require only one teaspoon of cinnamon? Got it. A single garlic not a pack of five? Sorted. A pinch or two of salt? Tick. Not only does buying exactly what you need save money, it also saves food waste as in developed countries, each household wastes the equivalent of one month’s worth of food every year! In America, this adds up to 60 million tons of decaying food products mounted in landfills where they release methane gas, a much more powerful climate warming gas than carbon dioxide. So our simple shopping switch has so far saved money, halted the wave of plastic entering the ocean, reduced our impact on the climate and helped out local business owners and farmers. Phew! Achieving so much by doing so little has never been easier; perfect in our ever-hectic lives.

Understandably, not everyone always has the time or the money to shop in these stores until they become more commonplace and their prices can match with supermarket value. However, you could try just buying simple staples in these shops and stock up on several weeks’ worth of food in one hit. Alternatively, you can still reduce your consumption of packaging even without specific zero-waste stores by visiting local farmers’ markets, butchers, greengrocers, bakeries and fishmongers. The produce here is often devoid of packaging until purchase and upon payment you have the option to slip your vegetables into your cotton bag rather than accept a plastic alternative, something which is not possible with all our pre-packaged supermarket goods. In regards to household products, why not check out your local Freecycle group or buy and sell Facebook page. All of this takes zero-waste one step further as you can gain cheap, or even free, unwanted items from your neighbours to prevent them ending up on our teetering piles of landfill. Repair cafes have popped up a lot recently as consumers start to rebel against the often poor quality products pumped out by businesses. By repairing your old items, you stop our cycle of buying, breaking and re-buying whilst also reducing waste such as clothes, electronics and homeware, taking you one step further to becoming a zero-waste pioneer! So where will you start? Will you take your Tupperware to a refill store? Stop off at the bakery on the way home from work? Finally repair that favourite holey jumper? Whatever you do, share it on social media to inspire your friends and family to rethink their ‘stuck in a rut’ shopping routines.

By Neve McCracken-Heywood