Shopping to Reduce Our Waste

People are often curious about how I shop zero waste.  It certainly is a big change from last year at this time.  The major difference is that I rarely go to the traditional grocery store.  When you look at today’s grocery store, you see packaging, packaging and more packaging!  Here is a high- level review of how I do my shopping in the West Island of Montreal (much easier if you live in Montreal):

Bulk Food Store

The bulk of my shopping is done at bulk food stores.  I like Papillon Foods in Pointe Claire shopping center (link to Papillon Foods) for their bulk detergents.  They sell OH products (dish and laundry detergent, shampoo) which can be purchased in bulk and are of excellent quality.    They also have all type of foodstuffs that you need available in bulk i.e. dried beans, nuts, grains (like my favorite Freekeh), oats, flour, sugar, chocolate, coffee, honey, peanut butter, dried fruit, snack foods.  They even sell muffin cups in bulk!   They are part of the zero- waste circuit and even give you a discount of 5% for bringing your container.  I like to support a small locally run business like this one.

I also go to Bulk Barn (Link to Bulk Barn) to get coconut oil and shortening in bulk. I now use coconut oil instead of butter for the majority of my baking needs.  It is an excellent substitute.

Fruits and Vegetables

As you know, I started a garden this year and I look forward to eating fruits and vegetables from my garden.  In the summer, I try to go a “farmer’s market” type of place.  In Pointe Claire village, there is the Jacques Wilson – Tony Martino fruit and vegetable market and of course LeguMylene in Ile Bizard, who sell fruit and vegetables grown right on the Island.  During the winter months, I have been buying my fruits and vegetables at Sami Fruit.   The quality is acceptable if you intend to consume the fruits and vegetables the week after purchase.  It does make me ill to go there and see everyone taking those thin plastic fruit and vegetable bags when I see how they end up in nature:

I beg everyone reading this blog to PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE not take those plastic bags.  They are very thin and light and fly away to eventually clog our waterways and kill our wildlife.  I encourage you to do like me and not use any bags at all, except for reusable fabric bags.  I use ones made of organic cotton (which make them compostable).  I wash them every week and plan to use them for a very long time.

Bread and Pate

I love bread and being zero waste doesn’t mean you have to give it up.  You can make it yourself, however, I typically go to my local bakery.  The Premier Moisson in DDO has a very supportive staff and they applaud my zero waste efforts.

I simply bring my reusable bread bags (one for a baguette and one for sliced bread) and they put the bread directly in the bags.  The bags go into the freezer at home or I use a metal storage container to keep the bread fresh if I intend to keep it for a long time.   They also have excellent pate de foie gras which they also put it directly into my container.

Cheese

The kind folks at Fromagerie Yannick are pro Zero Waste.

In fact, they also sell Api-Flex, an organic cotton coated with beeswax that can be used as a reusable food wrap.  At the end of its life, the wrap can be composted.   They have a wide variety of cheeses from Quebec and France.

Oil and Vinegar

I typically only use olive oil but this is now relatively easy to find in bulk.  I buy my olive oil at Joie D’Olives in Pointe Claire village:

The friendly owner, Kristen Smart, allows you to bring back your clean olive oil bottle and even gives you a discount to reuse your bottle.  She also sells a range of flavored white and red balsamic vinegars (grapefruit, fig, etc), which are lovely in dressings and even can be used in mixed drinks.

Meat (Beef, Poultry)

I have mentioned them before but the butcher at Mon Boucher, Kevyn, in Ile Perrot is not only an excellent butcher but is open to zero waste:

I buy all my beef and chicken from him.  He also has excellent bacon and ribs.    This establishment is popular with non zero wasters (packed on the weekend), attesting to the quality of the meats at this store.

Things I still buy packaged (and at the grocery store)

I buy milk and yogurt at the grocery store.  I buy the largest containers that I can.  Unfortunately the milk is in a plastic coated container, but I see that Provigo and IGA carries milk from the Harmony Organic Dairy in a 1 L glass bottle.  The bottle consignment is a hefty $2 but I think it is worthwhile to avoid the plastic coated container.

Unless I make my yogurt (which I do upon occasion), I buy yogurt in a plastic container.  I reuse the containers to go the bulk store.

I also buy toilet paper at the grocery store.  I am not willing to try out reusable toilet paper… yet!

Challenge for the Week: Why not try some zero waste shopping?  Collect your containers and off you go!  If you are already zero waste shopping, please share some tricks that you use.