In recent years, interest in zero waste shopping has increased. But what is it? Why is it important? And how does it work?
As awareness of the environmental impacts of our waste, particularly plastics, has grown, we have had to reassess the wastefulness of everyday life and find ways to become more sustainable. Zero waste stores, like our party kits, offer a solution to part of that puzzle.
What is a Zero Waste Store?
So, what exactly is a zero waste store? These stores are dedicated to reducing unnecessary packaging waste by offering products without packaging. They exist to help consumers make more sustainable choices and reduce their environmental impact when shopping.
Benefits of Zero Waste Shopping:
Reduced Packaging Waste: By shopping in a zero waste store, you can avoid unnecessary packaging, much of which is single-use and predominantly made from plastics. This reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Using less packaging also helps reduce the resources and energy required to produce and dispose of packaging.
Sustainable and Ethical Sourcing: Many zero waste stores prioritise sourcing products that meet ethical and sustainable standards, with many products certified organic. This helps support small businesses and environmentally-friendly practices, so you can feel good about the products you're purchasing.
Cost-Effective: When comparing like-for-like products, zero waste store prices are often comparable to supermarkets. Importantly, you can buy products in the quantities you actually need, reducing food waste and saving money in the long run.
Support for Local Businesses: By shopping in a zero waste store, you are supporting a local business and contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly economy.
A Vote for the Future: Choosing to shop more sustainably is a way of voting with our wallets. We are sending a message that the way we shop for food needs to change.
What Type of Products Can You Find in a Zero Waste Store?
So, what kind of products can you expect to find in a zero waste store? Stores typically stock a variety of store cupboard essentials, cleaning, and beauty products.
Common dried foods include oats, pasta, rice, dried beans, dried fruits, herbs and spices, flours, and even snacks like popcorn kernels, crisps, and chocolates - perfect for parties! Often, you can also find cooking oils, nut butters, plant milks, and more.
Cleaning products on offer include washing up liquid, dishwasher powder, laundry products, surface cleaners, and ingredients for make-your-own cleaners such as bicarbonate of soda, citric acid, and white vinegar.
Toiletries and skincare products include body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and moisturisers which can be refilled into your own container, or solid bar soaps and shampoos can often be found.
Some stores also offer packaging-free frozen foods such as berries and vegetables.
What Can I Use If There’s No Packaging?
Where shopping in a zero waste store differs from popping to the supermarket is that you need to remember more than just your reusable shopping bags. You will need to take containers for each of the items you wish to buy.
Rather than splashing out on new containers, here are some low-cost reuse ideas:
Plastic takeaway containers
Glass jam jars and passata bottles
Plastic margarine and ice cream tubs
Plastic bread bags
Cleaning product bottles
Metal tins or containers
Plastic Tupperware containers
Silicone food storage bags
Cloth produce bags
You cannot put two different products into the same container and, if taking glass, don’t forget that once filled, it will be much heavier to carry on the way home.
But most importantly, make sure all of your containers are clean and dry and have the correct lid. In the past, I’ve had a tricky trip home with a box of sultanas with the wrong-sized lid!
Some zero waste shops do offer paper bags, but I try to avoid using them due to their higher carbon footprint and often limited reuse potential. However, I saw a post by Ethically Kate about reusing paper bags for making popcorn in the microwave. I’m definitely going to try that idea with my kids over the upcoming summer holidays.
What Happens Once I Get to the Zero Waste Shop?
At the shop, your empty containers need to be weighed before you fill them. All items are sold by weight, just like loose produce such as bananas in the supermarket. To ensure you only pay for the amount of product you want to buy and not the weight of your container, it needs to be weighed first. This is either done at the till or on special scales which will print out a label for your container.
Then fill up your containers with the products you want. Shops will have a range of funnels, scoops, tongs, spoons, taps, and pumps to use, and many have a dedicated workstation making it easier to fill your containers.
Once you’re done, the rest of the process is much like other shopping experiences; take your filled containers to the till and make payment.
If you want to check how much something will cost before you fill up your container, first check the price per 100g (or similar). If, like me, that’s hard to imagine, just ask at the till—they will be happy to help. Some shops provide scales so you can weigh as you fill.
But What About the Packaging Used to Transport the Stock to a Zero Waste Store?
It would be untrue to say there is no packaging involved in shopping in zero waste stores as products have to arrive at the shop in something. Sourcing products in low-waste solutions is one of the key areas zero waste stores focus on. Closed-loop systems offer one of the most sustainable solutions by allowing stores to return packaging back to the supplier to be reused rather than recycled.
What Does the Future of Zero Waste Shopping Look Like?
Looking to the future, packaging-free shopping is not a new concept. In fact, not that long ago, most items were sold unwrapped, and it was normal to buy just the amount you needed.
Supermarkets play a crucial role in addressing unnecessary waste, and we’ve already seen UK retailers reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging, but there is still a lot more to do. UK supermarkets ASDA and Waitrose have both run in-store trials for refillable food and cleaning products and online supermarket Ocado has just launched a refill initiative. There are significant challenges to providing refills at scale as well as consumer attitudes—like believing that everything in a packet is ‘cleaner.’
As the design of our city centres shifts to support a more circular economy, zero waste stores will become a vital resource within our communities and they are already resolving many of the issues with how we shop.
With each purchase in a zero waste store, with each new refill system design, we move a step closer to a more sustainable way to live.
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