From July 1st, Queensland and Western Australia will ban single-use, lightweight plastic bags from major retailers, bringing them into line with the ACT, South Australia, and Tasmania. It’s the perfect time to change old shopping habits and give waste free shopping a go.
Going to the grocery or farmer’s market only once a week can help minimise your impact, as well buying food products in bulk. Try to give more thought to what you buy and where you shop so you don’t end up going home to a pile of plastic rubbish after unpacking your groceries. Here’s a handy guide to get you started.
Shopping bags and totes
Reusable shopping bags are now a necessity so don’t get caught without yours. Stash them in your car–some like Envirosax are even small enough to keep in your purse–so you’ll never go to the shops unprepared (and buy bags every time). Use them to carry your dry goods and wine bottles. Make sure they are sturdy enough to carry a heavy load and roomy enough to get products in and out.
Stylish, lightweight and space-saving
Onya Reusable Bulk Food Shopping Tote
Sturdy, practical and pretty
Robert Gordon Harvest Shop Bag w/ Leather Handles Natural Medium
Sturdy and full lined
Kitchen Warehouse Cotton Carry Bag
Shopping baskets, carts, and trolley bags
Carry baskets and handy carts are also good options for shopping as they usually can hold more products, among other convenient functions. If you’re buying a weekload of supplies, a set of trolley bags also come in handy. It helps organise your groceries at the till so you don’t have to do it all over at home. Plus, they easily lift out of trolley and straight into your car.
Express shopping for groceries with Trolley Bags
Reusable produce bags
It’s not only shopping bags you can cut back on; plastic produce bags can go, too. Bring your own reusable produce bags and use them to keep heavy fruits from crushing your delicate veggies. Also try to to buy loose produce instead of pre-packaged ones. That way, you can choose perfectly ripe ones every time and stop wasting money on the bad ones, as well as unnecessary packaging.
Versatile and reusable
Onya Reusable Weigh Produce Bags 8pk
Say goodbye to plastic or brown paper bags
Appetito Reusable Produce Bags 5pk
Food-safe wraps or cotton cloths
Keep beeswax wraps and large cotton cloths in your bag in case you run out of reusable bags for your produce and dry goods. Bring at least three in various sizes to wrap your bread, produce, or cheese in. Doing this will also encourage you to pick unpackaged goods and buy only what you will actually consume for a certain amount of time.
Eco-friendly, sustainable and waste-free
HoneyBee Wrap Reusable Beeswax Wraps
Glass jars and food containers
When buying meat or fish, huge glass jars and food containers come in handy. While big retailers do not yet allow customers to bring in their own containers, your neighbourhood butcher or fishmonger may let, if not encourage, you to do so. Just remember to get their tare weight before filling and weighing them. Glass jars and containers can also reduce the time you spend unpacking. Say no to wet plastic bags in your bins and say yes to reusable containers.
Classic pantry staple
Academy Hemingway Canister 1L
Perfect for your leftovers and packed lunch
Pyrex Simply Store Storage Set 12pc
Bulk bags
Buying food in bulk can be quite cost-effective. If you find jars and containers to cumbersome, use bulk food bags instead. These are the perfect reusable alternative as they are durable, washable, and hold a lot.
Functional, lightweight alternative to jars
Onya Reusable Bulk Food Bag
