On October 1st I started Reep Green Solution’s 30 day Zero Waste Challenge. Throughout this Covid pandemic, my zero waste lifestyle has been challenged so this is a great opportunity for me to focus on it again and see how I can navigate reducing waste in this different environment.
Asking to have something put into your own container can be intimidating. For me, the pandemic made this more difficult. Many of my favourite smaller retailers closed in the early part of the pandemic and with increased concerns about health precautions, a lot of retailers that I had used before were not accepting shoppers to bring their own containers. I was feeling anxious and discouraged from asking for products to be package free. As a result, my shopping habits changed and the amount of waste that I accumulated on a day to day basis increased. I want to use this challenge as a motivation to explore some new options to reduce my waste and find ways to incorporate this back into my daily life.
I started with the Kitchener Market where I knew that I would be able to purchase unpackaged local produce without difficulty. I decided to take it a step further and ask some vendors who had previously allowed me to use my own containers if that was still possible. I had not asked since the pandemic started and was was pleasantly surprised to find that they continued to support that. The feeling of supporting local and coming home with very minimal packaging was great. That was a good start and I was motivated to keep going!
Next up was Four All Ice Cream. They have recently changed their packaging to glass jars that you can return to the store for a $1 store credit. I tried the seasonal Pumpkin Pie flavour and, as usual, I was not disappointed 🙂 Great ice cream and a great local business that is very supportive of zero waste.
Another local find is Aroma Cafe in Uptown Waterloo. They actively encourage their customers to bring their own containers for purchases. You can get package free coffee beans, hot beverages, baked goods including amazing bread and even kimchi! I stocked up on coffee beans and grabbed a few croissants. I’m definitely going back to give the kimchi a try! On the subject of coffee, Eco Cafe in St Jacobs will support bringing your own mug as well and is a great spot to visit.
For bulk goods, Zero Waste Bulk also in Uptown Waterloo continues to be a great package free option. I was recently at Full Circle Foods in downtown Kitchener and they have a bulk section that you can bring your own container for as well as options in their returnable glass jars. Both Zero Waste Bulk and Full Circle Foods have a frozen section of pre made foods. I just got some frozen pierogis from Full Circle Foods that I am excited to try out.
All of these experiences have restored my confidence in asking about getting a product package free. I like my money to go to support local businesses that share my values and am excited to keep on exploring as I am sure that there are more great businesses that support zero waste in the community. This experience has helped me to get the courage back to ask for no packaging. It really is true that you don’t know if you don’t ask.
Zero Waste Balance 