Plastic-free produce

One of the main ways I shrink my trash is by avoiding plastic packaging at the grocery store. This is what my cart looked like today when I left the produce section at Super C 🙌

Nearly every grocery store has package-free produce options—if you look for them 😉

– I chose one loose bell pepper instead of buying a four-pack in a plastic bag
– I rescued three “orphaned” bananas instead of buying a bunch sealed with plastic tape
– I selected a single avocado instead of buying five in a plastic mesh bag
– I handpicked a few clementines instead of buying 5 lbs worth in a wooden crate topped with orange plastic mesh

By buying loose produce, I not only avoid plastic, but I also avoid food waste 😁 That’s because I buy only what I need, rather than large quantities I might forget about or not finish in time.

And if you’re worried about germs during the pandemic, you can do what I do: I place all the loose produce on my reusable cloth bag while I shop. When I get to the checkout, I pick up the corners of my cloth bag and transfer it to the conveyor belt so the produce stays on top of my bag. The cashier today was nice enough to weigh and price each item and return it to my bag, rather than placing the scanned items directly on the conveyor belt 😊 When I get home, I unload my groceries and put my reusable cloth bag (and mask) in the laundry hamper 👍