trying minimal waste grocery shopping & grocery haul

[@Simplebadger27]

Thank you for showing that this isn’t super accessible for everyone. I see people in LA go to places like Whole Foods and farmers markets and talk about how easy it is. But a lot of people don’t have access to those kinds of places.

[@morningstar8187]

That’s why I shop mostly at farmers’ markets. It’s cheaper, better quality, and almost nothing comes prepackaged. Plus, they tend to have more choice.

[@kajamagdalena330]

and it tastes better cuz it isnt harvested before getting ripe and then shipped across the globe

[@andreavelez4968]

Farmers' markets where I live are way more expensive than regular grocery stores. It's frustrating but at the same time, I want the farmers to get their pay.

[@bridey7521]

It also helps local businesses

[@michz9304]

Farmers' markets where I live are up to 4x more expensive than grocery store produce, so even though I would like to support and eat local there's just no way I'm forking out that much, I will pay double for some things that I know will taste better but not more than that, it's sad 👎 maybe one day I'll have my own garden let's see

[@Hailz12211]

@@andreavelez4968 same here

[@feliciahammer7385]

I LOVE the realistic and honest vibe of this video! Everyone can make baby steps to being more sustainable, and that’s really what we need; not people criticizing every little bit of waste another individual produces. Ahhh yes, that good ol’ Anne Marie Bonneau quote- “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” Like you said, every little change makes a difference! Love you Sarah!❤️

[@ccap3211]

You can buy cheese from the deli and bring your own container! And you can ask them to just cut off a chunk if you want to shred it at home. Also, you don’t need produce bags for things like bell peppers and bananas and apples and citrus fruits. I only use them for stuff that is wet like lettuce, even then it’s not a necessity. And you can buy Earth Balance in the blocks, that’s what I get. It comes in foil and in a cardboard box. Hope this helps!

[@sarahhawkinson]

thank you so much for these tips! going to try them out :)

[@djunaskye6220]

Not bagging fruit/vegetables is a good tip! Even when my family didn't care as much about minimizing waste, we never felt the need to put vegetables in a separate bag, cause you can just wash it when you get home! Those other tips sound good too, maybe we'll give them a try.

[@possum_punk]

@@sarahhawkinson you can also do that with meat! A lot of stores will have a fresh meet case where you can bring your own container. Ofcourse you wont be able to get chicken nuggets and stuff that is easily prepared but you can get fresh meet cuts and deli cuts. And If you don't eat meat that doesnt help a lot, but I work at a co-op and we have a deli where you can get tofu and fake meat options to make at home or we have a salad and hot bar to get prepared foods you can eat right away in your own containers.

[@AllNoiseHere]

It's never about a few people doing zero waste/minimizing impact perfectly, it's about EVERYONE attempting this imperfectly. That's how we all make an impact together and improve.

[@elizabeth-leavesandreads2890]

Great comment

[@Kas-rp4zb]

I totally agree with not being in the right place to be zero waste glad I’m not alone

[@yumboyackeleven]

Reusing your glass jars will come in handy at Winco for spices, oils, nut butters, and fine milled bulk. 👍🏻

[@Mayouche666]

I have to say it: your hair looks amazing.

[@alleyb483]

it always does and it always makes me jealous haha

[@alleyb483]

Walmart: so how should we package these? Sarah: you could not- Walmart: so plastic it is

[@jessicaaabvb]

Beyond Meat is turning to eco friendly packaging at some point in 2020! :)

[@honestcurls]

Love your range in content. I'm always looking at ways to improve my sustainability, and it bugs me so much the amount of packaging necessary for everyday items at the grocery store. Do you ever feel the need to pack a lunch and if so what kind of sustainable packing materials would you/do you use?

[@soph-rene]

I actually work at Nugget Markets as a cheese specialist. We try our hardest to be as sustainable as possible. Even our hand cut cheese is wrapped in a sustainable paper and we have lots of unpackaged produce including cauliflower, carrots, and tangerines. Even though it’s a bit more expensive, it’s worth it for the benefits.

[@vald2971]

god i love grocery hauls so much my nosy ass is LIVING

[@toridanielle333]

winco looks like a DREAM. we don't have bulk shopping on that scale where i live!

[@gothempress]

It's not about perfection. It's about improvements. Honestly, it is better for the environment for a million people trying in smallish ways than no one trying because they're afraid to fail. 🖤🖤🖤

[@spencerlauren91]

Managing expectations is such a great skill I fear a lot of people are losing. Being able to share your 'failures' and talking positively about how you can set a reasonable goal for doing something better next time is something I think more KZbinrs should do. Sarah does such a great job at sharing the aspects of her life she is trying to improve without doing stupid 'how I changed my life in 10 day challenges'. Reasonable expectations and framing failures as ways to do better next time are key for self-improvement. Well done girl!

[@elizalovessearth]

I think there’s a zero waste store in downtown sac somewhere. Obviously not a great option for everyone but at least you can be sure their bulk section is actually low waste! It’s called refill madness!

[@melissablatz6979]

Sloan (the owner) is amazing!

[@loveharmonyandjunk]

it’s the effort that counts and i think you did great! you should be proud of your progress and effort. you inspire so many to begin to be more sustainable :-) love u!

[@silviasottile4311]

The fact that the produce is wrapped in plastic isn't always a bad thing: in some cases, like cauliflower or broccoli, the plastic packaging prevents them to go bad after a short period of time, so it prevents the waste of the product itself

[@lalabelle98]

this bulk section is so massive! im impressed and kinda jealous!

[@SammieSpeaks]

The earth balance sells sticks without plastic! you just have to look with the butter and not the margarine section :)

[@rocioiribe5841]

one last tip, there are so many small zero/low waste business popping up where they have loose leaf tea or bathroom refill items, ect. it's just a matter of searching and reshaping the way we've been used to shopping. keep going Sarah!

[@kaylaotero3073]

Denio's farmers market in Roseville is pure gold. When I lived in Sacramento my mom and I would go there all the time to pick up groceries. You can't get frozen items but they have a huge selection of produce. Plus you can try a lot of the produce before buying it.

[@SpoonsForks]

Aluminum is the easiest and most cost-effective thing to be recycled

[@kajamagdalena330]

it sucks that to be sustainable u gotta drive to 100000 different places and waste gas thats also not good for the planet like uhhhh so annoyinggg

[@grumpyteeth9614]

for sure public transportation is not the same everywhere 😔

[@MrsStephine]

Girl you should have gone to the deli for cheese and meats and things. The bakery section have open cases with breads and rolls and stuff too without packaging. Both WinCo and Walmart have them. Winco also does have loose carrots and other veggies that you can pay the pound... it’s down further on the cold wall.

[@racheljensen1031]

I think winco stand for Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California and Oregon :)

[@itskaybe6348]

That winco bulk section was like an absolute dream!!! It puts my Whole Foods to shame.

[@IzzyHendrix]

Kroger has a lot of greens out of the packaging, all kinds of open-stock potatoes instead of bagged, *sometimes* they have open-stock mushrooms too, and the bread they have in the bakery is usually packaged with paper and only a little plastic, which is definitely better than the full-on plastic bags that most bread is sold in. some Krogers have bulk sections too, but i dont use a lot of stuff that you can buy in bulk because i'm really picky, but the option is there.

[@Moonlitconversations1717]

So for the tea at 11:40, if you like hot tea, I'd suggest going with Tetley. It's a packaged product but unlike Lipton tea it's not packaged in unnecessary blocks. I personally drink black tea, but they do have green tea and iced tea as well. Compared to Lipton, it also has a better flavor to it. The one downside to Tetley is because the teabags sit next to the cardboard box, they have to wrap it in a thin plastic or the really fine tea powder will get everywhere. It has minimal packaging compared to Lipton.

[@xnightxelfx5154]

I love how you show that it's not that easy as some people say. Being a mom with young children without a license, It's not that easy to be zero waste. There's only one store in our town and they don't do bulk and stuff. I already have reusable bags but that's the only thing I can do for now

[@laumoonchild]

Loved loved this! Thank you for showing a realistic video! there’s tons of videos of people saying how easy it is to be sustainable, but no one talks or shows how it’s actually harder for different communities. There should be more awareness on intersectional sustainability!

[@lexileunda]

You can re-use the cans to make flowerpots :)

[@JainMonroe]

Earth Balance uses palm oil in most, if not all of its non-dairy alternative buttery spreads.

[@thewinterland]

This is an excellent video because for "normal" people on a budget with busy lives and generic grocery stores near by it is really hard! Even with the best intentions we are set up to fail on this. It's still worth trying though, and lobbying the big grocery stores (even through what you purchase) to do better. I remember being a vegetarian 10 years ago was so much harder. Now you can get a vegan/vegetarian option for everything! That's the power of more people demanding options and the producers seeing an opportunity.

[@MorganKrystina]

Way to go Sarah! Every effort counts and being more conscious like you said is the best first step. I love watching people’s low waste journey/efforts, so please keep it up!

[@moniquebloom1824]

You could use your butter containers for that diy nut butter stand and for other bulk produce

[@mnshorten]

I've been trying to be more eco friendly as well. It is very difficult. Not everyone can give up ALL packaged foods. I enjoyed this video.

[@OBCDeeznutz]

The closest WinCo opened up an hour and a half away from me and I was in love...I managed to shop there once before everything happened and I was afraid to leave the house...I do appreciate stores that allow reusable containers, and I've got a decent reusable bag collection thanks to Aldi trips.

[@xXMsCrazy9Xx]

yes!!! i knew you were going to winco given your location and the fact that you said they have a good bulk section. i looooove winco omfg

[@carlyisoffthewall]

if you go to the deli you can get freshly cut meat and cheese and they can either wrap it in paper or i’m sure if you asked and brought your own wrapping/containers they would put it in them.

[@infieriASMR]

I think you did your best+this is a very good reality check! One thing I do for my mock meat is I buy it frozen because a few brands only use paper packaging (here in the uk Linda Mccartney and quorn for example)! The fresh burgers and things are usually packaged like the one you got, plastic tray+paper around it.

[@kristina_rr]

I love your videos on sustainability! They‘re inspiring and showing a realistic side of being sustainable. Because it isn‘t always easy to go zero or even minimal waste when you‘re not living in a big city. Although I must say - as a german I was shocked to see the amount of plastic the American grocery stores use. Don‘t let that discourage you. Every little step counts! xx

[@1musiclover0001]

For cheese, you may want to consider a deli counter or a butcher shop. They may be able to put things in butcher paper for you if they won’t put it in one of your containers.

[@i.e.presents638]

Regular Girl Beauty Great idea but I have never seen vegan cheeses at a deli counter...I hope they do, I guess if enough of us ask...

[@alinaanna9547]

I'm fortunate enough to have a lot of Whole Foods stores in my area. It's pretty expensive but it offers so much, pretty much all produce I can get plastic free and packaging free, fruits, vegetables, including all kinds of lettuce. Plus a decent bulk section for grains, oats and nuts. Other than that Farmers Market are the best place to shop at, not only packing free but also supporting local agriculture. In bigger cities there are also co-op stores that typically have local produce and a bulk section, all very sustainable. In my local one, people use their own jars etc. There's no plastic bags available at all. I realize though that things like that are only available in some big cities and there are areas where it's hard to find anything like remotely similar. But I hope that with growing awareness of the problem, more places like that will open in those areas too. I mean, a Whole Foods like store is difficult but co-ops are a grass root operation run by volunteers for the most part. I helped out in mine for a while. In return for working shifts I had a member discount for shopping there

[@hameley12]

Sarah, I recently found your channel and just want to say thank you for trying out zero waste. I know of the headache of going zero waste but 99% of packages are either plastic or paper. About the tomato sauce, cream cheesees, bulks of cheeses; my grear grandmother passed down to us a great 30 min recipe for making homemade tomato sauce, the cheese is a bigger job it takes hours to make from scratch and finding a spot in the backyard to build an 'icebox' or 'coldbox' to keep everything fresh for months. Perhaps I can share with you my homemade tomato sauce and cream cheese. Let me know. Happy New Year!

[@sirkusar]

It's interesting to see the difference between countries when it comes to packaging. I live in Sweden and there are vegetables that are in packaging, like sallad mixes, tomatoes in plastic baskets or carrots or potatoes in plastic bags. But there is always unpackaged alternatives of that thing too. Most of fruits and vegetables are not packaged so it's easy to shop with no waste. On the other hand, I've never seen any bulk section with rice or stuff like that. I've only seen that with nuts, tea or coffee pretty much. Would really like that though!

[@nah.yell.e]

you can actually try to use the sack from the cuties bag to try and turn it into a scrubber to wash your body. this is something that my family has done in the past and i find it works well

[@Maddmeg]

Imperfect Produce is an awesome option for low waster produce and things. Most of the fruits and veggies are the wrong shape/size/color for stores. It's an affordable weekly box delivered to your door. They will also pick up boxes from previous weeks to be donated for reuse (around here they go to food shelters). They also provide a lot of info on minimizing food waste

[@hannahhensley6830]

I just realized this video is old so you probably won’t see this comment. But I found this very reassuring. I watch a few zero waste channels who just refuse to get stuff with packaging. Being poor, that’s almost impossible and makes me feel guilty for buying things wrapped in plastic. So this just made me feel better. Thanks ❤️

[@GinGibberish]

Thank you for making this, Sarah! Some extra ideas for next time: You can go to the butcher counter and have them cut you cheese and put it in your own container. You can buy heads of lettuce and clean and cut it for salads. Dried beans and soak them instead of cans. Stewing or roasting fresh tomatoes is actually really simple. Loose leaf tea is the easiest way to get rid of a lot of single-use items. :)

[@sleepysartorialist]

I almost exclusively shop at Sprouts now out of necessity for trying to line up with my values and my doctor ordered organic diet. I think another great way to shop is to reduce down meat consumption. I can’t be vegan for health reasons but I am as plant based as possible and I try to buy higher quality meats that are sustainably sourced. If you’re in Northern California I also suggest going to Nugget markets. They’re local, they show you how far away your food came from (w/in 100 miles is Local and they label it) and they have great staff and just about 0 plastic in the store. Edited to add: do a price comparison between the stores that have the assumed lowest pricing and your local market options. I’ve actually found that a lot of times, weirdly, stores you expect to be more expensive are actually about the same cost as the “cheap” stores. Thanks to apps like Instacart you can also compare pricing on just about everything and that includes sales. I would also plan meals out to maximize whatever is on sale before you go to the store, oh, and don’t go to the store hungry. Cardinal rule. That’s a wasted food disaster in the making.

[@magdalenahernandez1562]

Hell yeah I go to winco here in Oregon!!!! Lol I got so excited you went there because that’s where I get my bulk oats and granola and almond butter! Gonna start buying spices after the containers run out and use those. I love how inexpensive they are but yeah I agree that it’s very hard to be low/zero waste given your location and if your neighborhood recycles. I live in a lower income area and we’ve never had a recycling system. I’m working on transitioning to loose leaf tea, but some tea bags are compostable with recyclable packaging. You could try growing your own herbs too!? Personally haven’t done I am apart of a community garden that allows us to grow produce and compost. Maybe look into that if it’s in your neighborhood! but I also think that we shouldn’t beat ourselves up a lot if we can’t because the world we live hasn’t set us up for that. We’re much a very convenient society and that again is not our fault. Especially to those who are trying to be mindful. We just should try our best and what works for us. Thank you for this video, Sarah! It’s very refreshing. Hope you do more vids like this/what I eat in a day. Love your content ✨🌵

[@i.e.presents638]

Magdalena Hernandez Those hibiscus flowers in the bulk section make a great tea. Dr Gregor’s new book, just out 12/10, mentions the benefits of that tea

[@magdalenahernandez1562]

i.e.presents wow thank you I’ll read about it!

[@clobas66]

Co-ops and farmers markets would be a smart way to reduce waste while also supporting your community!

[@strawberriesandcream3270]

i havent used the bulk for much except gummis

[@mizukichan30]

I loved this video, starting something as big as being zero waste is difficult and you showed how for most it can't be accessible, but I think if we all try our little bit it helps, and sharing ideas helps even more. I think my idea would be to shop at ethnic stores, delis, butcher shops (if you eat meat) and farmers markets are best for less waste, most of those places let you get things without packaging

[@Johannelopez1980]

Try farmers market. Some of the Sprouts stores have produce that’s not packaged, they also have bulk items. Also try some of the Asian markets and Latin Markets. Loved the video. I live in Sunnyvale Ca and wish we had a Winco .

[@Teacupgirly]

Wow those mesh bags look amazing! Definitely getting some for myself and my family 😁😁😁😁

[@terrenceleroy]

Idk if they have it around you, but I’ve been getting the new country crock plant based butter!! The avocado oil one tastes super good and it’s packaged in paper and cardboard!!!!

[@TJustMeT]

I don't know how it is for Lipton, but many tea bags are made from plastic. So if you want, you can make your own loose leaf tea in a tea strainer

[@kelseyscott5401]

Maybe this isn’t a thing in the USA but in the U.K. we have a deli section of sorts in our supermarket where you can buy cheese to the gram and it’s not in plastic packaging!

[@gloomyLuma]

Aluminum is very easily recycled! Sometimes they line the cans with plastic though, and I haven't figured out a way to figure out if there's plastic without opening it. Lol.

[@charisfutcher6820]

If ya don't know already 😚 you can use the dry hibiscus flowers to make a tea.

[@conflictpersona8]

Girl you just reminded me i need to buy reusable produce bags ive been saying it for months and reusable sandwich bags

[@ransacktheelders5119]

I bought those produce bags a little while ago because of you! Live them.

[@graceindeswoods5090]

Wow even your onions are bigger in America 😂😍 the ones I get frequently in North Holland from Lidl are maybe a quarter of the size, sold in netting. I'm thinking about reusing the netting to put stuff in for the wild birds/my pet birds now. I love how your videos always inspire me to do something new 😊

[@baby362436]

I just found this video and decided to watch it because I saw Winco in the title! Turns out you shopped at the store my husband works at, so it looks like you are local to me! Definitely subscribing!

[@soniavelez1478]

I used to live right by that Winco and I’ve missed it since moving to the south. Also love that vegan pizza.

[@ohmygoshhilduhh]

The thin plastic wrap on produce sucks because it’s hard to recycle but the plastic containers that mushrooms and salad come in are usually recyclable depending on your area!

[@minigol91]

I absolutely love WinCo I shop there all the time.

[@charlottewardell601]

An excellent example of corporate responsibility

[@rulzaa]

Avoiding abundantly used plastic altogether is good, but personally I try to mostly avoid SINGLE-USE plastic. Certain produce items for example can easily spoil before even getting to the store if they’re not packed, and obviously fresh food would also not keep in an open container during it’s journey through the process of getting to the consumer (until something is developed that would surpass plastic in price and efficiency obv). I avoid the excess plastic where I have the option, and then try to reuse stuff if I can! Some examples are using plastic packaging for trash bags, reusing plastic bread bags if I need to bring a snack or lunch somewhere, using cleaned containers from stuff like margarine, peanut butter, vegan sour cream to store whatever small thing might need a little jar in my house and so on. And then recycling the rest, even though a lot of even recycled plastic can’t be reused - at least it’s not all going straight to the landfill.

[@rocioiribe5841]

i've been shopping like this for about 2 years. it was so scary at first. and then it became my norm. like whenever i go into a store, i don't even relate to the way other shop and that's a good mentality to have b/c i have had people give me weird looks but it doesn't bother me anymore. b/c to me it seems totally unnecessary to bag up like one ot two things, like you wash them at home. **disclaimer** i still from time to time buy frozen foods or bags of chips. i haven't transitioned entirely but more like 80% and you'd be surprised how much that makes a difference** my biggest tip, is you have to PLAN what you're going to buy, i do a quick inventory of my fridge and pantry before i go grocery shopping. then based on what i want to eat that week, i'll plan rough meal plans and then decided what items i'm missing and need to buy. and my two options are usually Sprouts, and farmers markets. Still let me tell you this has been a LEARNING process. i didn't until recently understand and realize that i needed to have the weight written on my bags b/c it's everything and that's half the battle. When shopping bulk, i take a photo of my bag next to the PLU number so i can just tell the cashier. great video sarah! the point is that you tried and you'll be better over time. don't be afraid to think outside the box (i.e the packaging box, pun intended;)

[@hahabirdman01]

Hey! New to your channel, but I wanted you to know that I listened to this video on my way to the store, and you inspired me to be more mindful of the way I buy. You were definitely right, it can be disheartening, but I made some choices I really feel good about! Thank you for tossing this video out there. The next time you're feeling a little hopeless with all the plastic, just remember that you made a difference just by starting this conversation :)

[@AnaMoShoshin]

Hey there, I love the message of this video, which is every little bit helps and try your best! Here are a few of my tips for this vid. Buying in glass and plastic is better than plastic, as glass and aluminum can be recycled more easily and more times than plastic (if it even gets recycled). For the edemame and the corn, I suggest getting those canned instead of frozen. If you worried about not eating all in one sitting and food waste, you can always use repurposed glass jars to freeze left overs. I love cauliflower, but I often don't buy it bc they usually come in plastic. I wait until times like around the holidays when more shops have them unpackaged. I also suggest going to smaller shops, or more ethnic shops, as sometimes they have more local produce, or unpackaged produce. If you have any local farm stands, or shops that only carry produce, try those. As for vegan options in the frozen section, I try to choose brands that put items in cardboard only (easier to recycle or compost). I usually buy Quorn brand. I hear you about cheese!! We eat a ton of it and it's super hard to get unpackaged!! I think you did great by buying the largest one you could. I wash all my cheese wrappers and take them to target, shoprite or other places that have a "plastic film" recucling drop off. Hope this was helpful! Thanks for the video!

[@kleptomelly]

I'm really impressed with the size of the bulk section at WinCo. I wish there was one closer to me now so I could shop there too.

[@chelsiemalfoy]

So Winco is in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, & Oregon (that's where the name comes from) but it's also in Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, & Utah.

[@i.e.presents638]

chelsiemalfoy Good to know, thanks!

[@mary-elizabethmcgoran6372]

Also cans are the most recyclable material ever

[@HystericHeretic]

I didn’t realise how much stuff was packaged in plastic in the u.s lol in a lot of Australian supermarkets or at least the ones I’ve been to, everything is loose and you can take whatever and put it in a paper bag or a bag you’ve brought with you

[@olivia1910]

Totally agree with this video, I'm really trying to do the best I can but honestly sometimes it's kind of hard to find the motivation to spend so much time making stuff from scratch at home just to avoid packaging when I know that a majority of the population doesn't even care enough to use reusable grocery and produce bags... It's not just my responsibility. I know every effort counts but yeah sometimes it's really disheartening. I think it's also important to show that not everyone has easy access to everything. Also damn that Winco bulk section looks super impressive, a dream !

[@Mayouche666]

This video is exciting to me because even tho I'm not "ready" to be zero waste yet, I'm planning on making big efforts throughout the year and maybe reaching this goal at the end of 2020! I wanted to say that it's not ideal to buy things w packaging BUT if you make the efforts to buy everything you can with no packaging it's still something!!

[@mandylou4]

you can buy miyokos vegan butter in cardboard packages but it is sooo expensive. but very tasty

[@sydneewollah]

This is the first time I’ve ever seen a KZbin shop at winco! That’s the only place I shop besides toiletries and such. It a great store!

[@jerolyn21]

Thank you for sharing. I have reusable grocery bags but I didn't realize reusable produce bags were a thing as well. I'm excited to purchase those. Although you weren't able to purchase zero prepackaged food items, I took away some tips from this video. Thank you!

[@itscinna5540]

I love your thumbnails so much! ❤️ Theyre so simple but still enticing and makes me very excited to watch !!

[@mary-elizabethmcgoran6372]

Go to the station where they cut your cheese and meat for you, like the deli section and ask them to put it in your own container 💙

[@gettingjamieback1888]

Fresh veggies and fruit farms market is the best. No packaging but your own bag. Fresh cut meat from the meat department is the best no plastic.

[@13rabbit12]

Try the deele for cheese

[@juliette4076]

Winco is the best place for buying in bulk! I always get my rice, pasta, and nuts there.

[@sleepingxrose]

Omg that bulk section 😍 it's funny that from american youtubers I either see that everything is in plastic in the store, or they have supermarkets that have amazing bulk sections

[@carlyisoffthewall]

also you should make a video on vegan foods that they sell at Walmart and simple vegan recipes for people starting out- i live in a super rural town and walmart is the only store we have besides a Country Mart and a Dollar Store so it’s hard to have options :(

[@kiminthekitchen]

When I was going low waste and still eating dairy, I would go to the deli and get my cheese. They didn’t mine putting in my glass Tupperware. Also I could get salads and things as well.

[@larisa138]

Quorn chicken patties are packaged just in cardboard, no plastic (at least where I buy them in Florida)

[@JohnJacksonJohnson]

I would say shopping at someplace like Kroger; they encourage using sustainable bags by selling their plastic bags for 10 cents a piece, allow for a bagging counter beyond the checkout counters for a person to bag their own groceries, and they have just the basic necessities without sky-high prices!

[@norwAySMR]

I basically live on the north pole (Kirkenes) so most veggies are wrapped in plastic simply to survive the long trip it has to take to even get here. It's funny you mentioned cauliflower 'cause it's one of the few exceptions here, and I think it's because it can be grown locally. Fruits however are not packaged, and it shows... I haven't had fresh fruit in years...they're so soggy :'( Coming from a small country, I'm also super jealous at your variety... I could never even dream of finding "dried hibiscus flower" in a store xD

[@ccap3211]

Do you have any bulk stores near you? I live in a fairly small town in Missouri and we have a bulk store downtown where you can get soaps and shampoo and household cleaners and face masks and moisturizers and all that. You bring your own containers and everything. It’s pretty cool.

[@Karla-gn9dt]

It's so true that it's hard to but 100% plastic free and I would also like to tip people off that the WinCo in Stockton CA has bulk tea and plastic free mushrooms idk about all WinCos but that's the one I used to go to and would see that there

[@AliceAnnRose]

I once saw a shopping assistant refill the bulk section from tiny plastic bags in my local supermarket. Yeah...

[@ccap3211]

😬

[@lisiledbetter8220]

yup, similar thing happened here. also tried to help a bulk start up and they had to close, suppliers were impossible to find

[@padlocksncocoapuffs]

Yeah that’s pretty common almost everything that goes into the bulk section comes out of a plastic bag.

[@AliceAnnRose]

For me the best option is to buy in bulk packaging, like 1kg-2kg nuts instead of 200g. Not ideal, but better.

[@AliceAnnRose]

@Se A Yeah, but they can refill them from giant bags, or from reusable cotton-ish ones. If they choose small plastic ones it's just a joke.

[@maia_gaia]

I love this idea because every low waste video I've seen is at a really pricey store and/or a place that is specifically low waste, and as someone who lives in east Texas and is poor, those are absolutely not options for me

[@1985homeslice]

Dude. That bulk section is crazy.