Zero Packaging Groceries

Want to make a clean start this year by saving money and reducing wasteful packaging? Why not try buying in bulk?

We recently tried stocking up on baking staples for the pantry with zero packaging waste. Here's how we did it.  We found our plastic storage containers in the pantry and thoroughly washed and dried them.  You could carefully use glass as an alternative to plastic containers.

We took the containers to the customer service desk at the local food co-op, where their tare or container weights were measured and recorded on a little sticker.  

We filled our own containers with bulk bin items like rice, flour and sugar. 

When filled containers were weighed at checkout, the clerk subtracted the tare weights to determine how much to charge us.

*In many cases now, you can find organic versions of items at lower prices by buying them from bulk bins.  There is also more variety than you'll find packaged on the shelves of a typical grocery store.