We all want to do our bit for the environment but there’s no denying that it can feel a bit overwhelming. It’s not feasible for everyone to get solar panels put on their roofs but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything. Starting with your weekly food shop is a great way to make the first steps to eco-friendly living.
Did you know?
Over numerous lockdowns, a lot of us have been having been re-thinking how we shop and it’s showing in the stats…
- According to The Guardian, the eco-friendly market – including food, drinks, clothing, energy and eco-travel – has swelled to over £41bn
- In the UK, the data for the Soil Association showed that sales or organic produce were due to increase by 9.5%, to £2.6bn, a 10-year high.
- Twenty years ago, the total Fairtrade market was worth £22m, whereas today the total retail fairtrade market is worth £1.6bn
Wonky Veg
Embrace the weird and wonderful world of wonky veg. Over a third of farmed fruit and veg never make it to supermarket shelves because they are the ‘wrong’ size or shape. This equates to over 50 million tonnes of wasted fruit and veg.
But there’s nothing wrong with wonky veg and it’s cheaper! So, where can you find it?
- Aldi: Add ‘wonky veg’ to your next Aldi shop. With products like peppers, apples, and carrots, you get a wide range of food and it’s cheaper than the regular fruit and veg range.
- Asda: Asda started their range 5 years ago and are one of the trailblazers for misshapen veggies
- Morrisons: These guys have taken things a step further. Not only can you buy wonky veg, you can also try wonky cakes! There’s nothing wrong with a misshapen victoria sponge in my eyes.
- Tesco: Their Perfectly Imperfect range is fairly similar to other supermarkets’, however, it has removed best before labels as well.
- Lidl: The ‘Too Good To Waste’ campaign is a little different. They offer boxes of fruit and veg that are no longer at their ‘best’ but will still be tasty.
There are more options…
Companies like Oddbox, Riverford, and Abel & Cole offer organic and/or wonky veg boxes delivered straight to your door.
Loose Fruit and Veg
This is such an easy swap and will often make your shop cheaper! Better yet, a lot of supermarkets now offer paper bags to carry the loose produce instead of plastic ones. Morrisons rolled out package-free fruit and veg across its stores a few years ago and many other supermarkets are following suit. Meanwhile, Tesco also removed 1.5 billion plastic pieces as part of its 4Rs strategy in 2019, so everyone is trying their best to do their bit.
Eco-friendly alternatives to cling film…
- Give beeswax wraps a go: a new and increasingly popular alternative to cling film, beeswax wraps keep food fresh and can cover anything cling film can. It’s eco-friendly, re-usable, and often comes in pretty patterns!
- Silicone food covers: these are a great way to cover pretty much any container. They’re easy to clean and preserve your food way better than cling film does.
So there you have it, 3 simple eco-friendly changes. For more tips, sign up for our newsletter here.
