Eliminating waste while grocery shopping can be easily done by planning ahead and bringing a few essential items with you.
As a consumer, eliminating waste in the kitchen tends to start while grocery shopping. When you make your grocery list, think about what you can do to buy less packaged foods.
And don’t forget to make sure you are following these 7 Tips For No Waste Grocery Shopping at a Supermarket.
Originally Published On: January 2, 2019
Last Updated On: June 11, 2020
Have a Grocery Shopping Plan
Meal Plan
Before you hit the grocery store, try to make a meal plan for your family. There are many advantages to having a plan, including not over purchasing and making sure you will use everything you buy.
Grocery List
Once you have your meal plan ready, use that to make your grocery list. I find it helpful to separate a few things on the grocery list. Across the top of my list are a column for produce, one for cold foods, one for frozen, and one for non-foods. Everything else goes on the bottom half of the page.
In-Store Essentials
Shop the Perimeter
I’ve always heard that the healthiest way to do your grocery shopping is to stick to the perimeters of the store. Think about most stores, and what’s around the edges: fresh produce, dairy products, meats, and the bakery. In general, those foods aren’t highly processed.
They also don’t usually come with a lot of packaging, either. Fresh produce can almost always be grabbed individually. The pieces may have a few stickers on them, but it’s better to grab that than the bundles wrapped in plastic.
Stick to the List
Make your list, and then stick to it! When you stray from the list, it’s easy to get caught up in sales on processed, packaged foods. The only time I allow myself to go off-list is for fresh produce. For example, we love pineapple, so if I see it on sale, I will grab one.
You made a list for a reason, those are the foods you need for your meals for the week. Grabbing many more foods means something will likely go to waste. Also, it’s easier to stick to a budget when you only shop from your list.
No Waste Grocery Shopping Essentials
When at the grocery store, it’s so easy to cave to conveniences. But if you plan ahead, and take a few extra minutes, it’s possible to greatly cut down on the amount of waste you bring home.
There are a few No Waste products I have either purchased or been gifts and a few on my wish list. All of these help reduce our waste when grocery shopping.
Reusable Shopping Bags
There are a few options when it comes to reusable shopping bags. Most of the ones we have were free from events we’ve attended. Many places are giving out these bags to attendees, and we hold on to them. If you don’t have some, you can get started with some of these:
If you want bags that have a little more of a design to them, you can also find bags such as these:
Sturdy bags are a great option for the foods you need to keep from getting smashed. These bags are good for things such as eggs, bread, and fresh produce:
And, if you don’t live very close to the grocery store, or if you travel a lot, having an insulated bag may be helpful:
Reusable Produce Bags
Carrying your groceries to the car and into the house isn’t the only time that plastic bags are commonly used in the grocery store. You’ll also find the bags near the fresh produce. Most of the time, I see these used if someone is grabbing multiple of one thing, such as grabbing a few potatoes. Or, they are used when something is wet, such as the lettuce and broccoli that are misted in the store to keep fresh.
There are two basic options for produce bags. The first is a mesh bag. This is what I use because they are see-through so the cashiers don’t have to take everything out, and I can put the bags straight in my refrigerator and still know what is inside.
Sometimes, though, it’s better to have a bag that is not mesh. When you have delicate greens, such as lettuce, basil, etc., it’s better for them to stay moist. The cloth bags will hold some of the moisture while also allowing it to breathe and let out the gasses they create, meaning they will stay crisp longer.
Containers and Jars
While reusable grocery bags and produce bags can be used at almost any grocery store, the rest will depend on your store. If you have a way to do bulk grocery shopping, then you’ll need containers for that. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a bulk store around me that allows your own containers. The closest I’ve found is a bulk section at HEB but you have to use their plastic bags because there isn’t a way to
If you are lucky enough to have the opportunity, then I would suggest some mason jars. Even if you don’t use them at the store, they are great for storing bulk items and leftovers at home. I prefer the wide mouth jars since it’s easier to get things in and out.
I know these aren’t 100% plastic-free because of the lids, but I’ve had a similar set for many years now with no problems. These are great for storing meat since they are wide and flat. If your deli will allow it, you may even be able to convince them to put your cold-cuts in the container instead of a plastic bag.
Your Turn
- Have you tried any of these products before?
- What was your favorite?
- Which would save the most waste in your grocery shopping?
- Do you have a bulk store near you?
- What other things do you do to eliminate waste when grocery shopping?
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- What is “Pantry Week” + How does it Prevent Waste?
- How to have an Organized Pantry Without Plastic
- 12 Best Apps for a No Waste Kitchen
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- Why an Online Grocery Order is Wasteful
- How to Recycle Responsibly
- 24 Ways to Reuse Glass Jars Throughout the House
- Travel Tips for a No Waste Kitchen
- How to Read a Simple Recycle Label
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- Food Waste: Top 8 Tips to Avoid Throwing Away Food
- Meal Plan Tips for a No Waste Kitchen
- No Waste Kitchen on a Budget
- How Does Recycling Work?
- The 5 Rs in No Waste
- Top 10 Swaps for a No Waste Kitchen
- What Does No Waste Kitchen Mean?
- How to do a Home Trash Audit
- 30 Day No Waste Challenge
- No Waste Kitchen: Getting Started in 3 Steps
We actually use lululemon bags I have gotten from shopping for our shopping bags at the grocery store!
I always take reusable shopping bags but I really need to start planning my meals in advance… I also need to stick to my shopping list – I always make one but often deviate from it!!
I love these ideas! This is actually one of my New Years resolutions! We just came back from Breckenridge and they have a policy where they charge you if they have to give you a plastic bag!
I am LOVING the options you show here! I would love to try them out! I have to admit, my family would NOT do well at this!
This is something I am working on getting better at. I hate it when we waste food and I am ashamed to say it happens too much. These are great steps to take to start eliminating this.
My goal for 2019 is to save and avoid any kind of wastes. I definitely need a grocery shopping plan. Thank you for your useful tips.
Great tips here! I don’t even want to know how much money we lost on food waste last year alone, but I also love the “shop the perimeter of the store”. Good place for me to start on my healthy eating goals for 2019
Meal planning has been VITAL for not having waste. My hubby and I sit down together, plan out the week’s meals, and then make the grocery list. And then he ships because I have a tenancy of going off the list…
I love the idea of reducing waste. I have slowly started to move different things to reusable items. However, plastic bags is still something I am bad at. I do have reusable bags but often forget to take them. I am going to try and be better at that this year. Also, I love the reusable produce bags! The core of my shopping is produce and I really don’t like putting my veggies and things on the dirty cart or cash register.
This is some really awesome advice! I know that I would love to be able to make my grocery list to where I am not leaving any waste or putting anything in the trash. That’s like throwing money right in the garbage.
I am such a list maker! It reduces the stress of shopping for me and makes it easier to say no to the kids’ requests. Lol. I’ve gotten so much better at using my own grocery bags, but really need to start using produce bags, too.
Useful suggestions Stephanie! I always stick to my list, trying to avoid extra things and I use reusable shopping bags as well. to save money and protect the planet.
You are right that you really need to stick to the list you brought. And I get finding the things on the perimeter being fresher. Getting sucked down into the aisles will wind up with things you don’t need very often.
Very enlightening posts. They charge for bags where I live so these are definitely great options
This is such a helpful guide! We always stick to our list and try to shop the perimeter, but i never thought to bring reusable produce bags!
I would love a no waste kitchen. I use re-usable shopping bags but never heard of the produce bags. I’ll have to look into those. We buy a lot of produce so we can skip out on the plastic bags in store.
I would only add one thing to this list. NEVER go to the store when you’re hungry. Every other tip just goes right out the window. LOL
I always make a meal plan and try and stick to it so it avoids waste. We get most of us stuff delivered but I do pop to the local lidl every so often to get fresh bits x
I always make a list and stick to it! I’ve also gotten better at bringing my own bags to the supermarket. They are still plastic but I’m good at reusing them.
Overall, we would like to be less wasteful in the kitchen but it has been more about convenience and less clutter for us.
I will admit this, online shopping has saved me from overspending on things I would have bought just browsing the aisles. Sticking to a list and meal planning is a huge money saver. Great tips!
These are some helpful ideas. I also use reusable shopping bags. I need to work on meal planning.
We try so hard to stick to our list! Bringing reusable shopping bags, I feel, is something everyone should be doing, even if they are not trying to be waste free.