What can you buy in bulk

The zero waste lifestyle aims to minimize the waste produced in our daily lives. This may seem difficult to implement, but there are many tips and solutions to achieve it. By adopting an ecological approach on a daily basis, we can not only contribute to the protection of our environment, but also improve our well-being and our quality of life.

Zero waste: what is it

Faced with the massive consumption of products and their packaging in our society, a movement that we now call “Zero Waste” was born. It is nothing more and nothing less than a movement dedicated to protecting our environment and aiming to reduce our production of waste (toxic or not) and the waste of resources.

An undertaking that is not always easy for the ultra-urbanized populations that the East Coast of the USA can be, where the majority of the population often lives in cities and megalopolises, and where we consume (in supermarkets, grocery stores) more than you don’t produce it yourself.

How to go zero waste

Zero waste considerably reduces our impact on the environment. Each product consumes energy and raw materials to be manufactured. Once used and thrown into the trash, it again requires the collection, transportation sometimes using dumpster rentals and processing of resources. A cycle that consumes a lot of energy, even in the context of recycling.

Where to do your shopping in bulk

There are now bulk stores like we see many today in Myrtle Beach, for shopping without unnecessary packaging But how can we achieve “Zero Waste” or almost zero waste? Here are some loose ideas:

• Do your shopping in bulk, to limit packaging
• Make a list of all the disposable products you own and get rid of them (laundry detergent, household products, sponges, plastic films, soaps and shampoo tubes)
• Watch and read many tutorials online allowing you to replace all these disposable products
• Equip yourself with zero waste kits to make your life easier
• Equip yourself with compost to recycle your food waste (fruit peelings, vegetables and others) into fertilizer
• Convince all members of your family to do the same obviously
• Cultivate if you are lucky enough to have an outdoor space or a garden
• Eat what you buy and avoid delivered meals
• Recycle what needs to be recycled
• Stick a Stop-Pub sticker on your mailbox, with this simple gesture you avoid 35 kilos of waste per year!

Of course, such a shift is not so easy. It is even radical, so it still seems necessary to observe these few commandments to truly achieve Zero Waste one day:

• Start educating yourself first: podcasts, DIY videos, books…
• Choose a gradual and smooth transition towards Zero Waste
• Observe, then show the right actions to the members of your family
• Limit the purchase of new items and start favoring second-hand items

So equip yourself: composts, kits, reading and guides.

7 tips for producing less waste in business

• Implement selective sorting programs: by separating the different types of waste (paper, glass, plastic, metal, etc.), you can facilitate their recycling and reduce the quantity of waste at the end of its life. Like what Les Joyeux Recycleurs offer!
• Encourage the purchase of products with a low environmental footprint: by favoring eco-responsible products, you can reduce the impact of your business on the environment.
• Set up reuse systems: you can encourage the reuse of products or packaging within your company, for example by setting up a system of reusable lunch boxes.
• Encourage bulk purchases: by purchasing products in bulk, you can reduce the use of disposable packaging.
• Implement composting initiatives: if your business produces organic waste (food scraps, peelings, etc.), you can set up a composting system to reduce the quantity.
• Raise staff awareness: by informing your employees about sustainable development issues and giving them the means to contribute to waste reduction, you can mobilize the entire company around this cause.
• Encourage your employees to sort waste in a fun way.

How to go zero plastic

In a plasticized world where there even exists a plastic continent (which we call the 7th continent and which we can observe here) which would in fact correspond to 5 zones or vortices of plastics across the world, it appears more than ever crucial to learn to live without plastic.

South Carolina has voted to end disposable plastic by 2040, but while waiting for this fateful date, which seems far away, what can we do to move to zero plastic? Here are some ideas:

• Refuse single-use items and use reusable accessories (cutlery, cups, trays, pouches, straws, etc.)
• Reuse as much as possible

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• o your shopping in bulk to avoid all plastic packaging
• Use solid products in the bathroom: soap, shampoo, deodorant and even toothpaste (it is even possible to make them yourself)
• Store your food without plastic: bee wraps, fabric charlottes, glass or stainless steel “Tupperware”
• Say goodbye to plastic bottles: opt for glass, stainless steel and insulated bottles.

But let’s not forget local markets. Not only is it often the guarantee of consuming fruits and vegetables from local farmers, but also of doing your shopping without unnecessary bags and packaging. The bulk approach is motivated by the desire to reduce food waste, to consume better, to reduce waste.

According to waste experts at Myrtle Beach Dumpster Rental Center, Americans are gradually moving to bulk with the increasingly frequent opening of specialized grocery stores in cities. Consumption in bulk also helps avoid waste since the customer only buys the quantities they deem necessary. On average, each resident throws 49 kilograms of food in the trash each year. Bulk sales also promote local production.

1. Buy in bulk

Furthermore, buying in bulk also reduces the amount of microplastics present in the foods we usually consume. By reducing packaging, it also reduces the quantity of particles harmful to our health in our food!

In theory, bulk purchases should be cheaper. Less packaging means less use of materials in production, less weight transported, less space in the store, fewer steps to put on the shelves.

2. The price

If we take the average, bulk products are 6% cheaper than packaged products. But they are slightly more expensive for pasta, rice and cereals, products that end up in a very competitive market.

3. The environment

Zero waste considerably reduces our impact on the environment.