Tips for Eco-Friendly Grocery Shopping?

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Matthews

Matthews

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jan 22, 2024
Messages
32
Location
USA
Hi everyone,
I’ve been trying to make my kitchen and shopping habits more eco-friendly and I’m looking for reusable shopping bag recommendations. I came across some beautiful and customizable options online here and was wondering if anyone has tried something similar?

I’d love to hear your tips on cutting down on single-use plastics and making grocery runs more sustainable. What’s your favorite way to carry your produce and other kitchen essentials? Thanks in advance for sharing your ideas!
 
caseydog said:
I have an insulated shopping bag from HEB that has a zipper. It keeps my cold stuff cold all the way home in Texas summers. It is also very large. I'm sure other grocery stores sell something similar, if you don't live in Texas.

IKEA used to have a great insulated shopping bag, but they discontinued them.


CD
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Thank you for the suggestion! That HEB insulated bag sounds amazing, especially for dealing with the Texas heat. I love the idea of having a zipper for secure storage. I’ll definitely check if my local stores carry something similar. It’s a shame about IKEA discontinuing theirs insulated bags can be such a game changer for keeping groceries fresh. Have you found any other reusable products or tips that help make grocery shopping more sustainable?
 
HeyItsSara said:
Insulated bags are great. One of mine has a pocket for a cold pack which is helpful.
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I totally agree having a pocket for a cold pack sounds so handy! I imagine it’s great for keeping frozen items or even delicate produce at the right temperature. Do you use it often for long grocery runs or do you find it works for shorter trips too? Also, I’m curious what other eco-friendly habits have you picked up for your grocery runs?
 
I have plastic - reusable cooler bags and regular reusable bags. Just wipe out with Lysol wipe to clean them. Been using them for many years before they became mandatory (no bags paper or plastic from stores) in New Jersey.
 
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I use the pocket and cold pack combo for when i take food to work. I go to the gym first so it's perfect for peace of mind, even in the very hot NYC summers.
 
My brother gifted me an insulated box bag with not a zipper but the lid was a tug over the lip and quite good. Collapsible but when opened a stand alone stiff box. From a store we have here called M&M Food Market, a frozen food retail chain. (formerly M&M Meat Shops).
Also another (not insulated) rectangular stiff sided but collapsible. Love them both.
When all you got were paper bags and cartons from the stores, I would double bag my paper bags and reuse them till the fell apart. They would last a surprisingly long time.
 
msmofet said:
I have plastic - reusable cooler bags and regular reusable bags. Just wipe out with Lysol wipe to clean them. Been using them for many years before they became mandatory (no bags paper or plastic from stores) in New Jersey.
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I wish they would ban those plastic bags here. They are everywhere. I live at the South end of a a North/South street at a "T" intersection. On trash days in winter months, I'm picking those bags out of my garden all the time. I've had some get caught in my elm tree, too high for me to get them down. I have to wait a month or so for them to decompose enough to fall down.

CD
 
Matthews said:
I totally agree having a pocket for a cold pack sounds so handy! I imagine it’s great for keeping frozen items or even delicate produce at the right temperature. Do you use it often for long grocery runs or do you find it works for shorter trips too? Also, I’m curious what other eco-friendly habits have you picked up for your grocery runs?
Click to expand...

One thing I do is keep lists of things I need from different stores, and try to make one trip out of it. I'll go to Home Depot, the dry cleaners, and HEB in one trip. My six year old car has 42,000 miles on it. I buy gasoline about once a month. It helps that my office is in my house.

Obviously, if I need something right now, I go get it, but there is a Walmart 0.9 miles from my house for that kind of stuff.

CD
 
I'm an impulse buyer and as such hate to go out knowing what I'll do. So like you casey - save it all for one day. Unfortunately for that I'm then a zombie for 2 days recovering from not only physical pain of being on my feet but dealing with people also. It exhausts me.
 
In many cases using what you already have is a more eco friendly option than buying something new.

Being frugal is often compatible with being eco friendly.

Do a little shopping and experimenting with things that you find around the house.

Freezer packs can be almost any plastic bottle filled with water and kept in the freezer. Keeping an old picnic cooler in the trunk until your next picnic will allow you to keep groceries cool.

One minor thing for me is not buying trash bags. I use the packaging that comes into my life from packaged foods, tyvek shipping bags, etc…

Good luck!
 
caseydog said:
I have an insulated shopping bag from HEB that has a zipper. It keeps my cold stuff cold all the way home in Texas summers. It is also very large. I'm sure other grocery stores sell something similar, if you don't live in Texas.

IKEA used to have a great insulated shopping bag, but they discontinued them.


CD
Click to expand...
One of the things I like about those bags is the longer straps. I prefer bags that I can put carry on my shoulder.

I get most of my groceries delivered. Living in a large metropolitan area, it uses less energy to have one truck deliver groceries to a bunch of people than it would for those people to each drive to the store and home.
 
I have one bag that has 2 pair of straps. One long and one short. The long one is not long enough to put over the shoulder with something in the bag. Too long to carry by hand as it then drags on the ground. Also very annoying when trying to get the two short ones and the long ones get in the way...
I keep my bags in the car, try not to use the above mentioned bag but next time it comes in the house... out come the scissors.
 
dragnlaw said:
I have one bag that has 2 pair of straps. One long and one short. The long one is not long enough to put over the shoulder with something in the bag. Too long to carry by hand as it then drags on the ground. Also very annoying when trying to get the two short ones and the long ones get in the way...
I keep my bags in the car, try not to use the above mentioned bag but next time it comes in the house... out come the scissors.
Click to expand...

I keep mine in the car, too. It is grey, so it even matches the interior of my car.

Only one set of straps, and they are perfect for on the shoulder carrying.

CD
 
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