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Shopping tips

There are lots of innovative things you can do to help reduce your rubbish – check out some of the tips below to get started.

Tips for avoiding plastic carry bags:

  • Carry a cotton bag that can be scrunched up very small in your handbag/school bag/briefcase in case you need to do some unexpected shopping.
  • A cardboard box, or even a laundry basket, can be used in the boot of your car for groceries. Groceries can be loaded straight from the trolley into the box/basket, eliminating the need for plastic bags.
  • Want to take your own bag but keep leaving them at home? Try keeping a stash of plastic bags in your car so they're on hand when you shop.
  • Ask the supermarket checkout operator to put more items in a plastic bag than they usually do. This will reduce the number of plastic bags you end up with.

Tips for avoiding plastic packaging:

  • If you are buying potato chips for children's lunch boxes, do not buy multi packs - instead, buy large single packs of chips and put servings into a plastic container that can be reused.
  • Instead of buying freezer bags, use fruit and vege bags from the supermarket.
  • Buy as many items as you can without packaging (eg fruit and veges).
  • Use reusable elasticised plastic wrap when taking a plate.
  • By taking your own containers to the butcher you can save on packaging. The butcher just puts the meat straight into a container, which can be labelled and put in the freezer.
  • Buy your meat in plastic bags rather than meat trays. Meat is the same price per kilo at the supermarket counter.
  • Lunch boxes with partitions eliminate the need to wrap each item in plastic.
  • Instead of using individual serving pottles of yoghurt, put one litre tubs of yoghurt and place servings into re-useable containers.

Tips for buying gifts:

  • Give experiences as presents. Massage vouchers, dinners out, and even your time make marvellous presents... and they don't require any wasteful packaging.
  • Babies don't know the difference between an expensive toy and one made from recycled materials. Plastic bottles filled with pasta, rice, old beads etc. make great rattles (the bottle needs to be safe and clean). Different bottles and fillings can be used to make different colours/textures/rattling sounds. Once your baby has outgrown a rattle, its contents can be recycled.
  • If possible buy toys that can be repaired if they break (e.g. wooden toys).

Tips for purchasing household items:

  • Find out what products include recycled material using Zero Waste's Buy it Back Guide.
  • Buy rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones.
  • Using 2-in-1 shampoo means that you:
    • Only use one container instead of two.
    • Save money.
    • Save water (rinsing once instead of twice).
    • Save time.
    • Do not pollute as much (half the amount of soap down the drain).
  • Use pens with replaceable refills - this way you only dispose of a refill, not the whole pen.
  • In some areas milk vendors will still deliver milk in glass bottles. Where available, use this service because it is more environmentally friendly than using plastic bottles (even if you recycle them).
  • Instead of using potentially toxic cleaners on the sink, bath, basin or shower, use a cloth made of tulle. The texture of the fabric makes a wonderful scourer and you aren't left with bottles to dispose of.
  • Buy magic cleaning cloths. They clean and polish just as they are - no cleaning fluids or other products needed. They are a great way of saving waste, time and money.
  • Buy in dry-goods bulk from a wholesale supplier by getting together with a group of friends.
  • Instead of buying window cleaner from the supermarket, buy a window cleaning cloth. This will cost you more intially, but they are terrific for cleaning windows because they leave no residue of lint or streaks.
  • Baking your own bread, cakes biscuits, etc. is a great way to reduce rubbish.

General shopping tips:

  • The internet can be used to search for information and prices, rather than requesting brochures and price lists.
  • Pre-cycling is the best way to reduce waste. If it cannot be recycled, don't buy it.
  • Instead of buying countless bottles of water, re-use a single bottle and keep it in the fridge.
  • Buying more goods second-hand will increase the reuse of items and will reduce the amount of unsold secondhand goods being sent to landfills.
  • Buy products that use recycled materials in the product itself or in the packaging.
  • Buy refill products that use less packaging, or buy larger sizes to reduce the amount of packaging used.
  • When buying products such as shampoo, dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, and cooking oil, some shops allow customers to bring their own containers and to refill them from the store’s bulk supplies.
  • Check out the Sustainable Households website for a "shoppers' action guide" and other resources for making your household more sustainable.
 
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