It’s safe to say that shopping for groceries is hard. The temptation to buy things you don’t need can be too strong at times, and then more money is spent than planned. Not only that, but the more we buy, the more packaging we’re likely to deal with. There’s a lot we can do to keep ourselves from falling into this trap, and hopefully this blog can be a good start. Here are 6 ways to reduce waste while shopping!

1.) Keep shopping trips to a minimum

The more you shop, the more temptations you get to buy things you don’t need. Shop less and keep waste to a minimum!

2.) Limit yourself

Take 2 reusable shopping bags and stick to those. If reusable bags aren’t available to you, they are inexpensive to buy at most stores or online!

3.) If it’s pre-packaged, make sure it’s recyclable

If you happen to buy something that’s heavy on packaging, make sure it’s recyclable!

4.) Look for zero waste stores

There are a few of these stores in Missouri, here are a couple: In Kansas City, Nature’s Own Health Food has bulk grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and more! In St. Louis, you can buy dry grains, beans, nuts, and more at Lucky’s Market!

5.) Prepare a zero waste shopping kit

Just a few items that you may include in your shopping kit include glass jars, metal containers, and cloth shopping bags. These come in handy at those zero-waste stores!

6.) Don’t shoot for perfection!

It’s too often that people look for the pristine fruits and vegetables with no marks or bruises. In reality, as long as it’s on the shelf it should be fine to eat. Don’t be afraid to reach for the brown bananas! If it’s not to your liking, try turning it into something homemade like banana bread!