Zero Waste: Grocery shopping

by Hilda Scheenstra · Published September 4, 2019 · Updated September 4, 2019

In this post I share some of my personal experiences and grocery shopping tips you can use when you want to live a (more) Zero Waste life.

Shopping list

I am used to shopping once a week at a fixed time and this is also recommended for a Zero Waste life. I think what I want to eat in advance, one week ahead, especially for the hot meals, and I also make an (online) shopping list. It’s all about planning! 🙂

Shopping (online)

There’s no bukstore in my neighbourhood unfortunately and there’s only a small market in the village I live in so I have to go to the supermarket for most of my groceries. I recently started using online shopping for the supermarket. You can create / maintain your shopping list on your PC or in a special app. It may take a little more time the first time, but it also remembers what you bought the last time. Then you just have to check the basic groceries again the next time. I like it, it is efficient for me, but not everbody will agree… The disadvantage is that you actually always get your fruit and vegetables packaged, while in the supermarket you can sometimes omit the plastic bag. Although that doesn’t always work.

Zero Waste tips

Zero Waste grocery shopping tips:

Plan what you want to eat (meal planning);
Make a shopping list (and stick to it);
Choose glass, tin or paper / cardboard over plastic;
Avoid the plastic bags at the fruit and vegetable department when possible!
Do your shopping at a Bulk Store (US and Canada) your own bags / bags / pots). Unfortunately there is not a Bulk store in my area. For the US and Canada for example there is an app where you can find Bulk stores in your neigborhood.
Do your shopping at the market or at local suppliers, here too the chance of plastic packaging is a lot smaller, you can bring your own bag / bag / pot and no extra costs are made for transport etc. At your local suppliers you will off course find the seasonal fruits and vegetables. 🙂
Use crates, linen bags, groceries neats or whatever other bags you have available. Making one yourself from, for example, an old pair of jeans is also fun!

Here you can find my blog of yesterday, about paper!