Responsibly disposing of our waste is a pretty important task.  Many of us don’t give much thought to where our trash ends up, but there is a great big pile of trash in your town or city called the landfill.  It is brimming over with all the things you leave out for the trash pickup in front of your house.

Many of us feel we are responsible simply because we recycle.  This is a great first step.  But there is another “R” that we should pay attention to, and that is “reduce.”  We need to reduce the amount of waste we generate.  We can do this by purchasing goods that use less packaging, which is often in the form of buying in bulk.

One way to reduce packaging waste is to buy food in bulk.  That not only means getting the big package of toilet paper but also buying food in bins where you can choose the exact amount you want.  You can either use one of the bags provided by the store or, better yet, bring your own containers.  When you bring your own containers, you create zero waste!  Be sure to weigh your container before filling it so you can deduct its weight from your total.

You may wonder where you can buy foods in bulk.  I’ve created a short list of places to buy in bulk in Sarasota, and a sampling of what they offer:

Publix (University)
Nuts, sunflower seeds

The Granary (Beneva/Bahia Vista)
Herbs and spices
Rice (6 varieties)
Barley
Beans
Nuts
Dried fruit
Couscous
Sea salt
Pop corn kernels
Sunflower seeds
Granola
Trail mix
Raisins
Oatmeal
(The Granary also carries organic beer, chlorine free feminine products, organic veggies, fresh baked bread, 7th Generation cleaning products and natural pet food.)

Whole Foods (downtown)
Grind your own peanut butter!
Trail mix
Chocolates
Dried fruit
Nuts (all varieties)
Goji berries
Sundrops
Dried cranberries
Sesame seeds
Flax seeds
Red lentils
Rice (10+ varieties)
Beans (7 varieties)
Pine nuts
Popcorn kernels
Grits
Oatmeal
Quinoa
Flour (6 varieties)
Pancake/waffle mix
Barley (2 varieties)
Granola (24 varieties)
Sugar
Chocolate chips
Brown sugar
Couscous
Sea salt
Oats

Fresh Market (University)
Coffee (25 varieties)
Pistacios
Nuts
Grind your own peanut butter!
Candy
Granola
Dried fruits and veggies
Garlic chips
Veggie chips
Trail mixes
Spices

I’m anxious to try grinding my own peanut butter!  It sounds so delicious.  I’m also anxious to save packaging by using my own saved glass and plastic containers.  Enjoy your adventures in bulk shopping!