ILLUSTRATION: NAOMI WILKINSON. *T MAES ET AL, BELOW THE SURFACE: TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF SEAFLOOR LITTER MONITORING IN COASTAL SEAS OF NORTH WEST EUROPE, ‘SCIENCEDIRECT’, 2018
The use of plastic shopping bags has dropped by 85 per cent since a charge was introduced – and, encouragingly, scientists recently found 30 per cent fewer bags on the seabed.* How can we apply that mindset to the rest of our shopping habits? For me, the weekly shop used to be a late-night dash, where I’d moan about the unnecessary plastic packaging, palm oil and waste. I thought I didn’t have the time or money to change my routine.
For the last few months, however, I’ve replaced supermarkets with more sustainable and fulfilling ways to shop. Every Friday, I walk my dog to the market and stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables. They cost less, are plastic-free and are grown locally. This outing has become a joy – I chat to people from my community and the stall owner can tell me exactly where her produce comes from. I also notice that I connect with and value my food more when I shop this way. My kitchen cupboards are now full of jars brimming with colourful seeds, grains, nuts and spices. I fill these up at my local zero-waste shop. The first time I visited, I questioned if I’d been undercharged! ‘It’s surprising what food costs when you’re not paying for packaging,’ said the assistant. Zero-waste shops are opening everywhere, stocking everything from washing-up liquid to oats, rice and shampoo. There’s no need to buy fancy jars – mine are old ones that I’ve cleaned and repurposed. Shopping this way also reduces food waste because you only buy the amount that you actually need.