Have you ever looked around at the grocery store and noticed how much plastic there is everywhere? It seems like everything comes wrapped, and oftentimes excessively so. One of my favorite ways to reduce waste at the grocery store is to shop using bulk bins. Bulk bins are a way of selling consumables by weight. From a larger bin, you get the amount of an item that you want. Bulk bins can be a little intimidating if you haven’t used them before. To break it down for you, here are some step by step instructions on how to find, plan for, and use bulk bins for your grocery shopping.
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Finding a store with bulk bins
Many stores have bulk bins that contain dry goods such as rice, beans, popcorn, and trail mix kinds of food. This website has a great list of stores in the United States, organized by state, where you can purchase food and household goods without packaging.
Scope it out
Once you identify your store, I recommend taking a browse through the bulk bin item to see all that they carry. There may be some new ingredients for you to try, which is exciting! One benefit of using bulk bins is that you can try new foods in small quantities. That way you can reduce potential food waste from unused goods if it’s not to your taste. It also might be useful to do some price checks since bulk bin items are sold by weight. I’ve found that some items are much cheaper to buy in bulk, but others can add up quickly. For example, nuts are typically more expensive to buy so getting a large quantity can be pricey.
Now that you know what the store offers, you can make a list of the ingredients that you want. This step is important if you are bringing your own containers so that you have enough. Oftentimes places have plastic or paper bags by the bulk bins, but since my goal is to reduce single-use packaging I like to bring my own. You don’t need to have fancy containers, although you can if that inspires you! You can round up those used oatmeal canisters, empty pasta sauce and salsa jars, bulk food bags, or any other container. Just make sure that whatever you choose has a wide enough opening at the top so that the bulk items don’t spill all over. I like to use mason jars. Put the containers in your reusable shopping bag so that you don’t forget them at home (it’s possible I’ve done that once or twice.…)
Buying from bulk bins
Before filling your containers, you will first want to get the weight of the empty container so that you are not charged for the weight of the jar. Most of the time there will be a scale, pens, and paper near the bulk bins.
- You place the jar on top of the scale and press “tare” so that the scale reads zero. Some scales have multiple weight units (kg, lbs, grams), so you will want to check that you have the right one. I try to go based on what the weight of the item is priced by so if something costs $2 per gram I choose grams.
- On the bulk bin, there should be a number (often called the PLU) that is associated with the product. That is the number that the cashier will enter when you check out. You will want to write down either on a piece of paper or the top of your container.
- Fill your container with the desired product.
- Place the container back on the scale and write the weight on the paper or container. Now you are ready to buy your items like any other grocery trip.
If in doubt, you can always ask a store worker for help. Many of them are happy to walk you through the process for their store.
Buying household cleaners and personal care supplies in bulk
I am lucky enough to have a local store near me that sells liquid hand soap, conditioners, shampoo, detergent, mouthwash, and lotion in bulk. The same process is used as I described above for other bulk items only they are priced by the ounce.
If you don’t live near a store that sells these types of goods in bulk, you can try switching to non-liquid versions of the product. You can often find bar or tablet versions that require less energy to ship and come in recyclable packaging. Or you can make your own, like these soap bars! If you prefer to stick with liquid versions, there are also online stores, like Plaine Products, that have refillable options. You use the product and then ship back the empty container and they will refill it.
That’s all there is to it!
Bulk bin shopping can be fun once you get the hang of it. It’s also one of the best ways to reduce waste at the grocery store.
What is your favorite item to buy in bulk?
