There are many ways you can skip the plastic at the grocery store if you take the time to think about it. The arguments against plastic are many: it is made from a non-renewable resource, the production process creates pollution, it can leach chemicals into your food, it never truly biodegrades and there's a big, ugly mass of it sitting in middle of the ocean.
Glass- it's easily recyclable!
- Peanut Butter- Maranatha and Arrowhead Mills are both brands that come in glass.
- Mayo, salsa and other condiments- Most conventional brands come in plastic jars but some, like Spectrum and Newman's Own come in glass jars.
- Juice - Knudson and Santa Cruz Organics use glass instead of plastic.
- Pasta Sauce - It's especially important to buy tomato products in glass. The natural acid in tomatoes makes leaching from plastic jars a big problem.
- Oils - Olive oil is commonly sold in glass, while most other oils are usually sold in plastic. Spectrum uses glass for all cooking oils.
Paper or Cardboard - Paper made with recycled content is best of course!
- Meats- Buy straight from the meat counter wrapped in butcher paper and you'll skip the styrofoam tray and the plastic wrap.
- Pasta- Pick the cardboard box instead of that crinkly plastic bag.
- Milk - Paper milk cartons are recyclable in many areas.
- Bread - Fresh bread from the bakery usually comes in a paper bag - and there's no comparison to the plastic wrapped version.
- Better yet - make your own, homemade version of many of these foods and skip the packaging altogether!
And always be sure to carry your own reusable shopping bag, or ask for paper!! Can you think of any other food items that traditionally involve plastic packaging - and a plastic-free alternative?
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