Let’s face it.
The majority of items you can buy in the UK are packaged in plastic.
Even the health stores such as Holland and Barrett wrap everything in plastic packaging.
As you know, I live in the UK.
Trying to find bulk and loose items is super hard.
(Even more so because I don’t live in London or own a car.)
Fortunately, I’ve figured out a Zero Waste tactic for UK shopping.
IF YOU QUIT, I WILL RESPECT YOU
If you are a smoker or live with someone who smokes, you can understand the possible frustration to locate a Zero Waste smoking alternative.
Let’s be realistic for a second….
Smoking is an addiction and yes the best Zero Waste option is to not smoke.
And we all know how long habits take to form. [click here for my Zero Waste habit post]
My partner is a smoker, I’m not fond of it and he is aware of that.
In the meantime, before my partner decides to stop smoking, I want to find a Zero Waste alternative to his dirty habit.
Luckily, during Week 3 of my Zero Waste transition, I found a local traditional tobacconist. I was able to purchase loose tobacco without any packaging and smoking papers packaged in 100% recyclable cardboard.
When I handed the cashier my mason jar and asked her to put the tobacco inside, she became overjoyed at the sight of my mason jar and wished her other customers would follow in my footsteps. When I asked her why, she explained that she spends a small fortune every month purchasing single use tobacco pouches. To reduce her spenditure she would prefer for her customers to either bring the pouches back or to bring in their own containers.
Her admiration was pretty unexpected, but I greatly appreciated her care to save our planet especially after the cheese lady incident. [click here to read about her]
I found the tobacconist through a tactical approach. And this tactical approach has opened up a secret world to discover Zero Waste stores in the UK.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE UK ZERO WASTE SHOPPING TACTIC?
The secret behind discovering these magical places is to not look for stores advertising themselves as Zero Waste.
Seriously…
After a local UK Google Search, all I could find is a store called Unpackaged.
This store is a Zero Wasters dream, however, the store is located under a larger store named Planet Organic in London which is many miles away. A monthly train journey down to London just for my loose bulk purchases defeats the object of environmental sustainability.
The Zero Waste hype has have boomed in other countries and hopefully, that means the UK will catch on too.
Until then, us Brits do not need to worry!
Refer to this guide and you will be well on your way to Zero Waste in the UK.
1. FIND A FAMILY RUN/SMALL PROFIT STORE
Forget the big stores such as Asda, Tesco and Morrisons etc.
Yes, you may be able to purchase loose vegetables and fruit, but I’m specifically talking about dried foods- dried fruit, pasta and baking ingredients.
You can spot these store by the following:
- They have a lot of offers printed on handmade posters sellotaped to the windows
- The shelves are overcrowded with produce
- The location of the store is hidden away from commercial stores
- They sell produce us British folk aren’t familiar with; exotic herbs and spices and funky looking root vegetables
Most non-commercial stores purchase dried goods in bulk to save money. To reduce costs further, products are kept in the shipping containers and only weighed out and packaged when a customer requests a portion.
Use these stores to your Zero Waste advantage. I’m sure the store owners will be happy to use your refillable containers and bags, because it reduces the money they spend on packaging materials.
2. LOCATE A TRADITIONAL STORE
Just like my tobacco purchase, you may have a traditional store somewhere in your local area. Us millennials find it second nature to purchase anything we need from one store for example Tesco and Waitrose. But years ago, it was a normal thing to visit different stores during your shopping adventure eg. butchers, green groceries and a tobacconist.
Check out your local areas council page to find any traditional stores still in business.
Or ask people who work in your local post-office, newspaper store and market for the golden oldie stores still serving today.
3. ASK A LOCAL RESTAURANT OR TAKEAWAY STORE OWNER
This step may not work for you but it is worth a try.
In my local town, there is a Thai restaurant and every table is filled with customers from the minure they open until the second they close. So busy in fact, that the chefs takes several daily trips to purchase more fresh vegetables.
Naturally I am a curious person…
So I asked one of the waiters in the restaurant how the chef is finding the time to purchase fresh produce when the closest supermarket is a 30-minute walk away. The waiter explained that there is a fresh produce store located 3 doors away from the restaurant. This store stocks exotic herbs and vegetables to supply of all of the Chinese, Indian, Polski and Thai restaurants and takeaways along the same street.
As you can image I was blown away.
A potentially Zero Waste store booming with customers and I had no idea it even existed.
So myself and my intrigue visited the store.
Inside there was a lot of loose fresh herbs and vegetables. I was expecting barrels of oils and pulses that I could weigh out myself. Sadly, the store only had these items available in factory packed plastic packaging.
Overall, it was a disappointment that there was nothing available to a Zero Waster that I couldn’t purchase from my local market at a cheaper price.
Don’t let my experience knock you down.
Who knows, you could strike Zero Waste gold!
4. USE THE INTERNET WISELY
Remember to not perform a Google search specifically for Zero Waste stores in your area. Alternate between the following keyword searches and you will be surprised by the hidden gems you will find:
- Whole food store in [enter your location]
- Bulk food store in [enter your location]
- Refillable food in [enter your location]
5. PREPARE TO TRAVEL
If your local area does not meet the needs of your Zero Waste requests, apply the same methods above but outside of your area. This doesn’t mean you travel for an hour to the closest busy city, it simply means to venture outside of your current location to the next town if possible.
If you have family members that do not live in your area, arrange a frequent visit to see them and explore that town for Zero Waste goodness.
Zero Waste in the UK can be achieved.
Many years ago we never had plastic and we did just fine. Plastic packaging serves many advantages however, we haven’t conquered the pollution and slow decomposition just yet.
Tell me in the comments below how you are finding Zero Waste in the UK?
