Ethically Kate: I want to do my groceries at a package-free store, but how do they actually work?

Kate Hall’s top tips on navigating a bulk bin grocery shop.

Sometimes I forget that not everyone has a cupboard dedicated to jars and large ramekins filled with cloth sacks beside their reusable grocery bags like I do. In efforts to reduce my waste, save money, and avoid the supermarket, I’ve shopped at package-free bulk bin stores for the past six years. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how it works so you can do it too.

Before you set foot into a glorious package-free store, you’ll need the right tools to transport the food home. Ignore your initial desire to purchase the matching glass jar set you saw on Pinterest! Use what you have. Save ice cream containers, make cloth bags out of old curtains, and grab some containers from second-hand stores. You can also reuse the current packaging from your pantry items instead of throwing them in the recycling bin. For example, my olive oil bottle was once purchased from the grocery store. Now I simply refill it when it’s empty - I actually have two that work in rotation so I never run out.

Think practically about what sizes you need. If paprika is on your list, chances are you only want a small amount, so hunt for a small jar that will fit in your herb rack. Be clever about the containers you are lugging to the store too. My rice jar is huge and heavy. I fill a cotton bag with rice at the store and empty it into the rice jar when home.

As well as the means to carry food home from the package-free store, I always bring a cloth with me. A tea towel will do. Even the most experienced package-free store goers have accidental spills when transporting food into their reusable containers.

Armed with reusable containers and a cloth, find your nearest package-free store - but be warned, some stores are more package-free than others. I have seen store attendants empty out little plastic packets of almonds into the large bins. Ask the store what their stance is on waste and how they reduce it behind the scenes. Some stores will try their best to use refillable, low-waste schemes with their suppliers. Support those ones if possible.

Before you scoop your poppy seeds into an old curry jar and wait patiently as the dishwashing liquid drips into your bottle, weigh your containers. Walk up to the counter and ask for your containers to be weighed (“please”). The lovely server may even point you in the direction of a self-service weighing station. The weights will be written on the container and removed when your food is weighed at checkout.

Now is the time to forage! Go slow on your first shop. Browse mindfully, don’t rush the scooping, and take your time to get to know what foods will best fit into each repurposed container. Don’t be afraid to ask a shop attendant for help too. It’s in their best interest to assist you rather than deal with a clean-up.

Last, but not least, when you’re at the checkout or as you put your package-free goodies in your pantry with a smug smile, note what is inside each container with a label or a permanent marker. Don’t be like me and think “of course I will know what this is” only to find in two weeks that you have absolutely no clue.