• Own packaging
• Which products can we buy without foil packaging and by weight?

When we get home from shopping and start unpacking the groceries, we discover that a large pile of plastic waste has landed in our plastic basket. Even if we prudently bring our own cloth shopping bags to the store, it doesn't seem to be enough. Broccoli, individual cucumbers, celery, potatoes. The rice package consists of an additional 4-5 plastic bags. Cold cuts, meat, cheese – all of this is offered to us in plastic trays wrapped in foil. Even tea boxes are packaged in them. Is plastic-free shopping even possible?

Own packaging

More and more conscious consumers are choosing to bring their own reusable canvas, jute, linen, or nylon bags when shopping. They can use them to pack products we normally pack in plastic bags. The most experienced zero-waste advocates are provided with glass (and also plastic, but reusable) containers for meat, cold cuts, and cheese. It's enough for the salesperson to tare the scales, which means the weight of the packaging isn't included in the price. Let's remember how our grandparents did their shopping and consider what we can buy without unnecessary plastic.

Which products can we buy without foil packaging and by weight?

If we've already decided to pack products in our own reusable bags and packaging, it's good to prepare them in different sizes. So, instead of choosing groats packed in five separate plastic bags, we buy them by weight for our own bag. We can buy the products available in many stores and at fairs by weight or in bulk, i.e.

• nuts ,
• dried fruits,
• Rice and various types of groats,
• Legumes such as beans and peas,
• Fruits and vegetables,
• frozen delicatessen products such as dumplings, pyzy, noodles,
• Bread, rolls and sweets.

If we need Italian food, choose loose vegetables rather than those from a foil-wrapped tray. Avoid vegetables and fruit wrapped in plastic. If we take a bunch of bananas, we don't need to wrap them in a plastic bag. In fact, we don't need to wrap them in anything; we can simply add them loose to the basket. The same goes for peppers or broccoli, for example. Don't forget that we can also buy tea and coffee by weight in specialty shops, which are now common in most shopping malls.

Finally, we should mention products packaged in paper. First, paper packaging decomposes quickly, and second, we can reuse it for storing loose products. We buy the following in paper packaging:

• Sugar ,
• different types of flour,
• Oat flakes ,

Buying by weight contributes significantly to reducing the amount of plastic waste. However, it can require a lot of effort, preparation, and checking the products available at different stores at the beginning. For example, you have to be careful not to buy expired food. If the packaging is missing, it is not uncommon for the best-before date label to be missing. Then you should follow your own senses and carefully examine and smell the food you are buying. However, it is worth accepting these initial difficulties, as this will significantly reduce waste. Furthermore, we can also influence the exact amount we buy. Sometimes we only need part of the product, not the entire package. By buying by weight, we avoid food waste.