Eco Emma: plastic alternatives in grocery stores

As the planet rapidly gets suffocated by plastic, many have asked how they can help. Think about where most of your plastic waste comes from. What’s wrapped in cling film, sealed in plastic bags and stored in plastic lined cartons? That’s right: food items. 

Now, some of these uses for plastic are beneficial and hard to replace. For example, plastic is probably the most sanitary way to package raw meat since it’s leak-proof and can be made airtight. The real problem comes when we use plastic for convenience. Take milk jugs; milk was kept in glass bottles for decades, but plastic is lighter and cheaper to manufacture, so we’ve turned to it as the main milk receptacle.  

An easy place to cut down your culinary plastic is in the produce aisle. You are not required to put each of your fruits and veggies in their own little plastic sack. These things grow outside; they can handle sitting unprotected in your shopping cart for 20 minutes. Besides, you’re going to wash them before you eat them. If the thought of having your apples touch your shopping cart is just too revolting, mesh bags are relatively cheap on Amazon and are reusable. Even some old pantyhose can work as a last-minute veggie bag. Stop buying pre-cut veggies. I know it’s more convenient if you’re busy or need a big party platter, but there’s no reason to buy a bag of broccoli florets when you can buy a head of broccoli: chop for two minutes and have the same result.  

Spices, rice, beans, grains and teas are other foodstuffs that often come in plastic containers but really don’t have to. Exist Green is a small shop in Dundee that offers a solution to this problem. Exist Green is a plastic-free bulk goods store. You can bring in your own jar (or buy one of theirs), weigh it, get it cleaned and fill it with whatever you want. You’re charged based on weight added to the jar, and some items can go for as little as 60 cents per pound. Exist Green has the same procedure in place for shampoo, soap, lotions and other bathroom items on the other half of the store.  

Plastic lines the aisles at a grocery store; I know it’s hard to avoid. Afterall, not everything has a plastic-free packaging alternative. But, if you’re not too committed to a single brand, you can buy products that lend themselves a bit more to environmentalism. Try to buy peanut butter in a reusable glass jar. Buy rice in plastic containers and not plastic bags. And, of course, bring a reusable bag to the register. If you’re buying meat, they may be required to put that in its own plastic sack, but you can keep that and reuse it later.  

Plastic is often unavoidable, but if you’re observant, you can cut down a lot.