It was August 2019 that I made the transition to stop purchasing products contained in single use packaging. With the convenience of shopping online, including grocery shopping, I was disappointed and felt quite guilty when my products arrived in multiple plastic packagings meant to keep my food cold. I had to stop. "What would Greta Thundberg do?" became my mantra. I usually brought my own shopping bags to the store when I went grocery shopping, but that was not enough.
I went through my cupboards, and pulled out all the containers I had. I saved every condiment container from my fridge, cleaning the jars, and removing the labels. When I went to the grocery store, I consciously shopped at my local markets, and bulk food stores rather than big chain stores. At the local grocery and bulk food stores, they would weigh my containers and write the tare weights on them, and then I would go about my shopping. Even the deli, and meat counter would use my containers to fill with whatever meat products I was purchasing. I kept a few simple rules in mind while shopping:
1. The produce must be loose and I will place it in my own bags.
2. I will have all meat, cheese, and deli items placed in my own containers (Separately)
3. I will use my own containers and paper bags for bulk nuts, dried fruit, seeds, flour, spices, and grains.
4. Any refrigerated dairy must be in cardboard, glass or wax packaging.
5. Any dry goods must be in paper, glass, or fabric packaging.
6. If there is plastic, I cannot buy it. This includes the lids on mustards, dressings, peanut butters, and jams, even cleaning products such as dishwasher tabs, laundry pods, and cleaning sprays.
I would have to put alot of products back. I learned to make products homemade because of this:
Yogurt
Dressings
Jams
Sauces
Breads
Shrubs
I began with the kitchen, and transitioned to the bath. I am now using a bar shampoo and conditioner, and I am buying my toilet paper and paper towel without plastic packaging.
It is a work in progress, but so worth it!
Angeline
Visionary
The Ardent Habitat ™
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