As with many people these days, I spend a not-insignificant amount of my time thinking about the environment and ways in which I can reduce my impact. I always have an Envirosax or two tucked into my bag, I try not to buy a cup of coffee unless I brought a reusable mug with me and I use my plastic vegetable bags over and over again.
However, I still struggle with the amount of trash I produce. Last night, as I was cleaning up my kitchen, after an evening of cooking dinner, making some muffin-sized quiches for the week's breakfast (something like these), making salads for lunches and cutting and marinating some chuck steak for dinner tonight, I realized that I had filled the garbage can full up. Now, it doesn't help that I live in an urban apartment and haven't figured out a way to compost yet (although I'm working on it), but most of my trash was unrecyclable food packaging. As I tied up the bag, and headed to the trash room, I found myself wishing for a store where it was encouraged to bring as much of your own reusable packaging along with you as possible.
Reading Treehugger this morning, I discovered that such a store does exist, although its in London, too far away from me to make it practical. It is called Unpackaged and sells all of its products loose. You bring your own container or buy a nice-looking reusable one from the store. Now, I know that this sounds like the bulk section at Whole Foods, but in my area, the bulk-buying options are quite limited and they look at you askance if you bring your own jar in when buying quinoa or popping corn. The idea of a store where that practice is encouraged makes me long for one in my own neighborhood.
May is National BBQ Month and National Hamburger Month
Cupcakes, not for dessert (unless beef is your idea of a treat)
Because eating French Fries in the car is so tough
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-14-2008 @ 11:16AM
melissa said...
fantastic! I'm in London - I'm going to go check it out. We already get most of our food from Abel and Cole (organic veg box delivery) and our local butchers, but there's always a few things we have to go to one of the big supermarkets for, ugh.
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4-14-2008 @ 11:24AM
lizandrsn said...
That's all well and good, until you watch a parent ignore their child dip a bare hand into the bin, or sneeze into something uncovered. If stores would police these isles, I'd be there in a heartbeat.
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4-14-2008 @ 11:45AM
Kitt said...
I shop at Wild Oats (now part of the Whole Foods empire, which I have mixed feelings about) and they have quite a comprehensive bulk selection and don't blink if you bring your own container. Every kind of flour, sugar, granola, beans, nuts, rice, dried fruit (even shredded coconut!), a machine that grinds out fresh peanut butter, a honey dispenser, not to mention all the herbs and spices.
I agree most of the Whole Foods stores I've been in don't seem to have quite that variety or attitude (all those prepackaged take-out foods they have!), but check to see if there are other natural foods stores or co-ops in your area.
I wonder if part of the novelty of Unpackaged is the lack of other bulk-shopping options in London. (Londoners, I'm just guessing here. If I'm wrong, let me know!)
Kitt
http://www.kittalog.com
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4-14-2008 @ 1:17PM
thefishie said...
When I buy produce or bulk here I use the bags they provide, but fortunately they're all recyclable in my area, so they go in the recycling bin. Easier than taking my own containers but also doesn't generate landfill junk.
Thanks lizandrsn, I now have another thing to add to my list of "cootie fears." Besides the grocery cart handles, there's this too! :)
My Blog - I eat & Travel.
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4-14-2008 @ 1:42PM
pink_lemonade143 said...
When I was in the Niagara Falls area (Canada-side), I went to a store called Bulk Barn. There was such a wide variety of foods, from candy to spices to pie fillings to soup mixes to snacks. I think you can bring your own containers too. It was fun to wander down the aisles to see what each bin held.
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4-14-2008 @ 4:08PM
Baron said...
When you say urban, do you mean that you are in a big city, living in some place w/o any type of green space (how people can live in places like that... well, I know people do rave about all the "stuff" there is to do, but I digress)?? Have a look here, this just mentions a few of the ways to do your compost in tighter quarters: http://www.recycling-revolution.com/compost-bins.html
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4-14-2008 @ 4:20PM
Marisa McClellan said...
That's nearly exactly what I mean when I say urban. I live in a big city, on the 20th floor of a high rise apartment building, with no outdoor space and a tiny kitchen. It makes composting challenging, because even if I find a way to compost (and dedicate some proportion of my tight quarters to it), I still have to figure out what to do with it when it's done.
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4-14-2008 @ 4:22PM
tulle said...
melissa,
Thank you so much for that tip about Abel and Cole! As a recent SoCal to London transplant I wish I had heard of it sooner.
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4-14-2008 @ 6:21PM
Janet said...
I have been using my Envirosax, too (got the cool new Mikado style, so pretty!).
But, I wanted to tell you that when I bought mine, I also got a set of these awesome Eco Produce Bags (http://www.brightandbold.com/ecoproducebags.html). They are the best way to stop using those annoying thin fruit & veggie bags at the market that just keep adding up, and usually tear before you get the produce home anyway.
The set of 4 includes 2 organic cotton and 2 cotton netting drawstring totes, I've found them perfect for fruits, veggies and grains in bulk. Plus, I swear they keep my produce better for longer because they let the produce breathe, unlock the plastic ones.
The same place has all of the Envirosax styles, and free shipping and coupons to use, so I've found it very efficient to stock up there on my eco-friendly bag needs. Thanks for the great blog, I love reading it daily!
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4-15-2008 @ 5:37AM
fuchsoid said...
I hadn't heard about this before, and it's very good to know, especially since they are quite close to where I live in London. There is (or was) a similar shop in Bristol that has been there for years, but I didn't know about one here in London.
My local wholefood shop does sell Ecover detergents and cleaning stuff in bulk if you bring your own container, which is useful, but not food.
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4-17-2008 @ 10:50AM
Ed T said...
In today's world, the Tragedy of the Commons will quickly turn this otherwise good idea into a unsanitary mess. I like to think the bins would remain separate and clean, but really, just look around at how others behave in stores, do you think they will be any different in this circumstance?
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