Image: Daniel_Nebreda, Pixabay
Day 42 of 365 Days Of Low Carbon Living – using BYO containers.
How often do you bring your own (BYO) container?
Have a look at what goes into your ‘rubbish’ bin. Chances are that an awful lot of it is plastic packaging from food and other groceries.
How big is the problem – and what can you do about it?The Australian Broadcasting Commission reports that ‘The biggest source of plastic packaging comes from the weekly grocery shop — most of the food and household products you buy come wrapped and bottled in plastic.’
Sure, we can recycle much of the packaging – most of our hard plastics in our yellow-top recycling bins, most soft plastics at major supermarkets (if we live in or visit the right places).
What I do
Where possible, I buy things without packaging.
I use my own containers for things that are loose (like nuts, pulses and flour) and moist (like cheese or meat). Here is how I bought some almonds and pepitas recently, using some ‘takeaway’ containers that had come into our home:
As a result, I have almost no ‘rubbish’. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I put out my rubbish bin.
Why BYO containers?
When we buy food and other groceries in packaging, I wonder how many of us are aware that we are buying at least two things:
- food (or other products)
- packaging
Given that we really just want to buy food, do we need to buy packaging as well – especially when the packaging can only be used once?
Wouldn’t it make more sense (and cents!) to only buy the food and put it in re-useable packaging?
Reducing the amount of packaging we bring into the house can:
- greatly the amount of packaging to be recycled or otherwise disposed of
- make a huge difference to amount of ‘rubbish’
- reduce the amount of resources and energy used to make packaging – and the associated damage to our climate and environment.
When it comes to ‘waste’, remember: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle… in that order! Recycling is the least best – it’s only one step up from ‘dump’.
How to shop with BYO containers
There are 2 key elements to using your own containers:
- buying food and other goods without packaging
- using your own containers for things that are loose, moist or liquid
Buying without packaging
For a start, remember that fruit and vegetables can be bought loose – and most have their own skins, so they don’t need packaging.
So much of our commerce is geared around pre-packaged food and other goods that it may take a little more effort to initially find ways to buy without packaging. However, after you have done it once – like finding anything new – it’s easier to do it again.
Instead of cruising supermarket aisles picking up packaged goods, look to markets and ‘bulk’ shops.
Shopping at farmers markets, retail markets, ‘health’ shops, co-operatives (‘co-ops’), and shops that sell cleaning and personal care products in bulk is a different experience to shopping in a supermarket. You can
- buy just as much as you need – a great way to avoid waste
- build a relationship with the people from whom you are buying, which in turn enriches life, improves your mental health, and strengthens your local community
- get to know more about what you are buying – even if you don’t ask questions, the person from whom you are buying will often tell you details about their products – especially after you have become a ‘regular’
Not sure where to start looking for places where you can buy food in bulk (that is, with your own containers)? In Australia one place is Sustainable Table’s guide. There are plenty more – check out shops and food co-ops in your local area!
Conveniently, many places that sell bulk food also sell bulk cleaning products and shampoo etc.
Some shops and stalls clearly prefer you to BYO containers.
At other places, you will need to ask the person who is serving you to put what you are buying into your own container.
Everywhere you go – even delicatessens (even in supermarkets), butchers, takeaway shops – just try to use your own container. You might even be able to transfer something in a ‘takeaway’ container into your own container – and hand the original back to whoever is serving you, for re-use.
Yes, you might find yourself a little nervous because you are stepping outside your comfort zone and current societal norms. Just remember, though, that using your own container was the norm for most of history – and still is in many places in the world.
You might even meet some resistance from time to time. This may be because whoever is serving you is ignorant of the problem and your rights or because a certain business has decided (usually for insurance reasons) not to accept BYO containers. However, just starting the conversation is an important step. Let them know that you want to use your own container – and why. Next time you ask, the conversation with them may be a little easier – and they may have changed their views.
By way of example, I recently had to buy some feta. I took my container to the delicatessen and handed it to the person serving me at the time I asked for the cheese. The business looked to me like the sort of place that might argue the point. Instead, the young woman simply used my container as if it was the usual way! Clearly, plenty of people who shop there also use their own containers. (I wish I had taken a picture to use in this post…)
The results of returning to treating our common home with more respect and gentleness will be worth the effort!
What to use for BYO containers
Whatever you use for your BYO container, it must be clean and dry, with tight-fitting lid and appropriate for the purpose.
You could, of course, spend a fortune on your own brand new, specially designed containers. Indeed, whole businesses have been created to tempt you with this line of consumerism.
Yet you can acquire plenty of pre-used, re-useable – even matched – packaging for free, or at very low cost.
But that would only go part way to reducing the problem of ‘waste’ from packaging – and what happens when those containers break or you don’t want them because you no longer like them or they are surplus to your needs?
Why not re-use ‘packaging’ as your BYO containers? They are FREE – and re-use better than recycling or dumping. Remember, though, to only use food containers for food – never use chemical containers for food. Instead of using plastic bags, try:
- reusing jars for things like grains, legumes and nuts from bulk food stores – they may weigh a lot more than a plastic bag, but you are unlikely to buy more than you need at any one time
- (small) cloth bags for fresh fruit and vegetables – then pop them straight in the fridge if their contents need to be kept cold
- reusing takeaway containers that may have made their way into your home – they are light and stack easily:
Any garage sale, op shop, or similar is also likely to have plenty of second hand containers (especially plastic containers and glass storage jars), at very cheap, nominal prices.
(And, yes, I am aware that some of these options are plastic. However, if a plastic container already exists, re-using it is the best option for dealing with it.)
If you are using takeaway containers, remember to use a rubber band or two to ensure the lid doesn’t come off.
To avoid weevils spoiling food to be kept for any time in bags or other air-permeable container, transfer the contents to airtight containers like the tins in which drink powders come. You can leave them in their ‘naked’ state for an ‘industrial’ look or decorate them as you like.
Check out any of the numerous blogs about zero waste living for further tips about using BYO containers.
The challenge
First, look around your home for what you already have that could be used for shopping with BYO containers. Put them in your shopping bags or cart so you will have them with you when you shop.
Second, next time you go shopping for food and groceries, see how much you can buy without packaging – and enjoy connecting with people through the conversations involved!
Join me!
Any change or challenge is easier if you have company along the way.
So let’s embark on this journey together.
- Read my blog every day for ideas, thoughts and experiences for living a lower carbon lifestyle, more in harmony with nature – while also adapting to the consequences of our damaged climate.
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- Commit to taking action yourself.
Add a comment to let me know you’re joining in the effort to turn around our world so it can remain liveable – and what your experiences are.