Food is one of the hardest things for me when it comes to Minimal Waste, or at least it was when I was starting out. Why does everything come wrapped in plastic?! That was the hardest thing to overcome. Breads, cucumbers, plastic stickers on all my fruits and vegetables, plastic bags when you check out... it is never ending! Or, if you don't have time to pack a lunch, there's plastic for everything take out these days. Waste is everywhere.
My first step was to start using reusable bags. Getting in the habit of keeping a few in my car, one in my backpack I take everywhere, a few by the door so I can grab them when I leave the house to do a big grocery shop. We all have a million of these things lying around from when we shop at those fancy stores like Roots and LuluLemon (you know the bags I mean). And if you don't, here's an excuse to buy some cute track pants! Just kidding, you can find some reusable bags at almost any store near the check out, or reuse the plastic ones you have stuffed into some closet somewhere. Personally if I were going to replace the reusable bags I have now, I would make sure they are made form 100% recycled materials or biodegradable. But even having a few of the cheap plastic ones keeps you from using many, many disposable plastic bags.
My second step was to purchase reusable cotton vegetable and fruit bags. These were difficult to find at the time as Zero Waste wasn't really a fad when I began, but now I think I have seen them at stores like Goodness Me and maybe even Bulk Barn! I got mine off of Amazon, and there are some great options on there for sure, just depends on what sizes you want and how many etc. I got a pack of six, two large, two medium, and two small. And these are perfect as sometimes you're only getting two of something and at other times you're getting TONS. These I store in my reusable grocery bags hanging in my closet by the door so they are easy to grab when I go grocery shopping.
The third step is what are you putting into your cart? Cucumbers for me are the perfect example for this step. You can buy the English cucumber, that comes wrapped in plastic, or you can opt for the field cucumber that you have to peel as the skin is a bit thicker, but it's a cucumber all the same and not wrapped in plastic. Making choices like these as you shop is what makes the difference in the long run.
For the fourth step, it might not be for everyone but it is something I definitely apply to my life because it really is where I make the biggest difference. I bought three different sizes of mason jars and I use these for my dried goods. By dried goods I mean baking ingredients, pastas, nuts and dried fruits, coffee, even peanut butter for me. Dried goods always come wrapped in plastic or cardboard that is coated in plastic, for these items I take my mason jars to my local Bulk Barn. Most people say this is too much work: "I don't want to have to go to a different store for that, that takes too much time," But how much money you will save, and the environment! Every week I buy ingredients for all sorts of things and I hardly ever spend more than $15.00 on my Bulk Barn trips. It all comes full circle. I even buy my treats here too; all those midnight crave items: chocolate, chips, and cookies. You can buy all these things in jars at the Bulk Barn instead of wrapped in a plastic bag at the grocery store for 5 dollars or more for a handful. It is honestly an amazing store.
The fifth step for me was those items that you can't find at the Bulk Barn and that you can't find a plastic free version of. This is the hardest step because this one you may have to either a) source from an expensive health food store or b) make your own. Now, if you just do the four steps above, or even the top three steps, we are still doing a lot to help the environment. But if you are dedicated to trying to do more, like myself, then I encourage you to try to make your own! Making breads can be a really relaxing and fun activity. Muffins, cookies, and breads can also be frozen to eat at a later date as well which can help if you realize that you don't have time to make things every week. There are bakeries out there as well that offer things in paper bags. I am lucky to have one close to my home called Homestead (downtown Barrie, Ontario). It is amazing and has great breads, lots of vegetarian and vegan options for all my animal loving friends out there as well! Great Canadian Bagel also has paper bags for their bagels too, which is awesome. Both these places I think have reasonable prices as well.
That is as far as I have taken my Minimal Waste grocery shopping. I think the next step for me is to find somewhere to buy meats not wrapped in plastics. That is usually the only thing that I do buy that comes in plastic anymore. I have been to a couple local farms looking for paper wrapped meats but they usually only do this if you're buying large amounts and I don't have a deep freeze. So that might have to wait until I have my own home but it doesn't hurt to keep looking for options.
I hope this is helpful for you, and if you have any tips for me or comments on what I have written above, feel free to reach out through my Instagram or through my contact page on this website! I love getting connected with you all, Cheers!