What I've done so far

Over the last few weeks we have completely stopped using packaging for all food purchases. Hence no bags (not even paper) for ANYTHING. This means loose potatos, loose oranges, no ready washed organic mesclun, cucumbers that don't have plastic wrap etc etc. Here is what I've done for cheese - I've got a local producer who kindly blocks my cheese and puts it into a container I've provided. Any bread we buy is fresh at market and goes into my own cloth bag. Basically I bring containers and bags for EVERYTHING. The only exception thus far has been butter and the tinfoil wrap. We LOVE butter.

Even my daughter's easter chocolate was bought from a local chocolate maker, bulk and package free. We hid the chocolate in grandma provided plastic easter eggs saved from earlier years Easters.

Thus far we are managing... but I do have a rather generous array of product still in my cupboards... so it's going to get harder!!!!

But I am amazed at how much your purchasing / buying behaviours change when you strive for ZERO.

You also start to notice how much disposable packaging is being used that we just take for granted. What disgusts me is how much PLASTIC packaging is being used at our local farmer's market. I can't get local spinach... because it's all bagged!! Likewise for sprouts, and many other things!! All the cheese producers use plastic. I'm lucky to just find a nice guy who will block some off separately for me each week.

I'm also discovering that there are VERY few options available. Our local Halifax health food store recently stopped doing the bulk refill of cleaning products. Apparently the Body Shop did bulk refill too but they stopped this a number of years back.

We are going - BACKWARDS. All due to convenience and economics!! I certainly know that for the local health food store it was not due to LACK of sales. My health food store (on the outskirts of town) sold a ton of the same product. The problem --- it's messy, the staff need to know how to use/set the weigh scales, and it takes up valuable /shelf floor space where you could put more smaller objects thus increasing retail value per square foot. ECONOMICS. (i.e. cost of staff, cost of space).