HEALTH & WELLNESS
Zero waste, low waste, eco-friendly, low-impact. These are just a few names for the new movement that has people striving to reduce the waste they create. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Shopping Bags
variety. These bags can work, not only for your produce, but also for your bulk items. That brings me to my next point.
Zero waste sounds great, doesn’t it? But where do you start? A great place to begin is the grocery store. As you may know, plastic shopping bags are being phased out and replaced with reusable cloth counterparts. You can find bags made from anything from basic canvas to woven repurposed fishing line; the world is your oyster! It’s a great initiative for lowering your grocery-related trash, but it’s just the beginning.
Shop in Bulk
You may have noticed that the bulk sections in grocery stores are expanding, and there’s a great reason to take advantage of that. Bulk items not only cut down on waste, but costs as well. Buying in bulk allows you to choose the quantities you purchase; that means you will neither waste the products, nor have to buy several pre-packaged bags to get what you need. Refillable Shampoos, Soaps, and Detergents Recently, many local stores have begun offering refill stations for products such as shampoos, lotions, laundry detergents, hand soap, and more. You can visit The Root Cellar for your shampoo and personal care products, where they offer refills for
Single-Use Plastic Packaging
Grocery stores are littered with plastic, from single-use produce bags to the clamshells many produce items are sold inside. Most of this plastic will end up in landfills, where it will take up to a thousand years to decompose. To prevent this, try to choose items in glass jars or cardboard packaging, as opposed to plastic. When it comes to fresh food, try bringing your own reusable produce bags to replace the single-use
Words and Photos by Story Sheidow
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www.pei-living.ca SPRING 2019
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