My battle against the seemingly ever-growing mountain of plastic is continuing. I started some time ago avoiding prepackaged fruit and vegetables wherever possible. I moved away from products in plastic tubs to those in glass jars which I hoped could be more readily recycled.
My journey into zero-wasting received a welcome boost when a packaging free shop opened in Amsterdam last year. The Little Plant Pantry in Amsterdam ( http://littleplantpantry.com ) has become my favourite store for groceries. I have to admit it seemed like a cumbersome task at first, to first weigh my containers or bags and then to weigh them again once filled but like everything it was just a question of getting used to it.
I’ve since dusted off my sewing machine and made a few cloth bags out of the remains of some curtains. These are lighter than the tubs or jars I first started using, and also easily washable.
The more I try and figure out how to reduce my waste and reliance on packaging, the easier it becomes… and then I start to think how many resources we could save if packaging-free stores were more widespread.
It’s encouraging to see that some supermarkets in the UK are introducing some options for buying more produce loose. And it was great to see the large range of products that could be purchased loose in a Carrefour when I visited my colleagues’ office in Brussels. How long will it be until taking your own containers to the supermarket (or the market) becomes second-nature?