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Comment by abdullahkhalids | Hacker News Reader

I have significantly reduced the use of plastic in the kitchen over the past few years.

* Only metal or glass containers (sometimes with plastic lids)

* But fresh vegetables/fruits (95% of these are not covered in plastic) and grains/spices from bulk barn (take your own glass containers and fill them up).

* Meat and dairy comes in plastic wrap or bottles. But I am hoping to find a butcher who will let me take away the meat in my own glass container. Also searching for a good exchangable container milk+yogurt store.

* Have reusable bags for groceries that last many years.

There is still quite some plastic used, but I am probably close to the 10th percentile when it comes to plastic usage.

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> But fresh vegetables/fruits (95% of these are not covered in plastic)

That's nice but most of the plastic waste probably happens before you even buy it. If you really wanna reduce your waste in this area you should try to stick to what's in season[0] and grows locally. Also grow your own greens. They're easy to grow and the amount of waste produced and energy consumed just to get these leaves to stay green by the time they get to a customer is pretty shocking

[0] https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/

Yes, we go to the farmer's market in the summer.

Unfortunately, can't grow anything where we live, besides herbs, which we do.

> Have reusable bags for groceries that last many years

There is another way. After you’ve paid for the items, put them back into the shopping cart. This is very easy at self checkout. Take the cart to your car and unload the items into one or more plastic bins (typically used to store stuff long-term and come with lids). Carry the bins into the kitchen when you arrive home and unload.

I can fit all groceries into one or two large bins. It makes unpacking items really easy once at home. I don’t have 15 bags to carry , reusable or plastic.

Take the cart to your car

I think it would be better if you rode a bicycle or took a public transit, preferably train.

unload the items into one or more plastic bins

whoa there.. Not sure about those plastic bins. There is another way, unload them into handcrafted wood (sustainably sourced, of course), bins.

That still feels very far from net zero. The train is supported by rail and concrete. It is far better to walk or better yet minimize your trips to the store altogether. Reducing your motion will reduce your need to consume.

Reducing your motion will reduce your need to consume.

So true, I've been practicing slow shallow breaths to reduce carbon output. Staying totally still most of the day reduces some of the dizziness.

Laying down in a box (of course made of locally sourced wood) makes it very easy to stay still. Sometimes I still feel the urge to move so to prevent this a wooden cover is place and nailed to the top.

This is an unnecessary degree of sneering and disdain directed at someone sharing an an anecdote.

It's not unreasonable though. A small, reasonably efficient car uses the equivalent of 15 plastic bags of oil for every mile driven.

There is another way... Take the cart to your car

If you’re really concerned about your environmental impact, you’re probably not driving a car (which itself is made of hundreds of pounds of plastic). Much better to take transit, bike, or walk.

My bike has a folding pannier basket that perfectly fits a reusable shopping bag.

Not an option for many people in the US when the nearest grocery store is too far and you need to shop for a family.

Totally an option when you choose a place to live.

“Hey I NEED that plane trip to visit my family 2000km from where I moved last year”

At least we're doing all doing our part to make those seat pitches shorter and shorter.

There are cargo bikes, but some places are very bike unfriendly and culture is very hard to change.

My bike has a non-folding rear basket that fits two full-size reusable shopping bags. :-)

Totally agreed on the car. Seems silly for someone to talk about small amounts of plastic when they're driving a gigantic gas-guzzling SUV and pouring tons of carbon into the atmosphere.

Why don't you just bring your bags inside the store? Then you can put your groceries in your bags and don't need to worry about a cart

I've got two big reusable bags in my car for that purpose. They fold up and take very little space. If you're buying salad and leafy vegetables, a basket is even better. Next time i go to the farmer's market I'll definitely take the basket.

Don't have a car or a license. I walk/bike/transit to the markets.

I am looking for a cart [1], that I can push to the store and back with my groceries. Ideally, it will have large tires so it can actually be used in the winter.

[1] which doesn't look like a stolen shopping cart

"shopping bag on wheels"

> * Have reusable bags for groceries that last many years.

I find that now I need to buy bags (in a box!!!) for trash. Bags that are much thicker than I need most of the time.

> Buy fresh vegetables/fruits (95% of these are not covered in plastic)

In France, supermarket customers have to self-weigh their vegetables/fruit purchases and only recently did stop making you put things like your weighed bananas in bags. Cashier used to always look at me funny when I just slapped the label on the banana peels.

I have never put produce in the plastic bags available. I just put them directly in my shopping basket. Then go to self checkout and put them in my reusable bag.

"Meat and dairy comes in plastic wrap or bottles."

I kind feel like if your butcher doesn't use butcher paper, you aren't really going to a butcher but a meat department at a grocery store.

Probably depends on the product. My local butcher sells most things wrapped in paper, but sausages come in a plastic bag (I have no idea why).

Do you really think paper is more sustainable? In my place they burn the rubbish and paper even if recycled is more questionable.

I didn't state a position on that. I only said my butcher uses both.

Paper comes from trees that extract carbon from air. Trees have a lifecycle wayyyyyy shorter that oil so when you use paper you’re on a ~50y removable scale which is more human manageable that the oil one.

Takes oil and other non renewable to cut it and process. Plastic is more or less a side product of the oil industry. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/sustainabl...

I go to an independent locally-run "meat shop" as they call it. Thy do use butcher paper, but then put the whole thing in a plastic bag to prevent leakage.

I haven't actually asked them if I can bring my own container. Maybe they will be open to it.

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