Guidelines
On this page I explain a couple of guidelines that help me make purchasing decisions on my quest to a waste-free home.
Bulk Purchase Packaging
When I talk about Bulk Purchase Packaging, I am referring to the materials used to package products that you purchase from stores who sell goods in bulk bins. The goods purchased are the same as those that you would scoop out of the bulk bins, except you are purchasing the entire bag or box rather than a smaller quantity in your own bag.
For the purposes of the "Waste Free Home" project, I consider this packaging to be NULL. My reasoning is that whether you scoop a small quantity into your own reusable bag, or you purchase the entire amount in its original packaging, the waste is the same. The bag, box, or bottle exists whether you take it home with you or not. By purchasing the entire package, you often benefit from a price reduction, but I do not consider this to be the creation of more waste.
Packaging Types
When searching for an item "waste-free", I will search for it using the following priorities as my guide.
Bulk Purchase Packaging
When I talk about Bulk Purchase Packaging, I am referring to the materials used to package products that you purchase from stores who sell goods in bulk bins. The goods purchased are the same as those that you would scoop out of the bulk bins, except you are purchasing the entire bag or box rather than a smaller quantity in your own bag.
For the purposes of the "Waste Free Home" project, I consider this packaging to be NULL. My reasoning is that whether you scoop a small quantity into your own reusable bag, or you purchase the entire amount in its original packaging, the waste is the same. The bag, box, or bottle exists whether you take it home with you or not. By purchasing the entire package, you often benefit from a price reduction, but I do not consider this to be the creation of more waste.
Packaging Types
When searching for an item "waste-free", I will search for it using the following priorities as my guide.
- Completely packaging-free
- Bulk from bulk-bins into my own bags/containers
- Cardboard, paper, metal, or compostable packaging
- If plastic is the only way to source the item, purchase in the largest possible volume to maximise the product to package ratio.
- Avoid at all costs items that come in plastic film or bags.
