Last week, the governors of 10 states declared an official recognition of National Bulk Foods Week. Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont all encouraged their state’s shoppers to realize the economic and environmental benefits of buying food in bulk. The Bulk Is Green Council, a food organization based in Portland, Oregon, also issued a letter encouraging more than 500 grocery retailers to display signs advertising the campaign and inviting customers to shop in bulk during National Bulk Foods Week. If you missed National Bulk Foods Week, you can still join the movement by shopping at a local store that sells food in bulk!

Buying food in bulk refers to dry, unpackaged, often organic goods like flour, spices, nuts, coffee, cereal and dried fruit that are stored in large bins in grocery stores. Environmental benefits of buying food in bulk include the need for less packaging – since customers bring their own, reusable packages to fill with dry goods, less money, energy and resources are spent on manufacturing, for example, paper sacks for each bag of flour. While most packaging for these items is recyclable, some of it is not, and some of the packaging does not get recycled. Less packaging results in reducing waste and decreasing carbon emissions from the plants that manufacture the packaging.

While bulk food has been a grocery option for decades, it is becoming more popular and well-known now, due to an improvement in public attitudes and an increase in efforts to cut down on waste and take steps to benefit the environment. A British 2007 Waste & Resources Action Program report estimates that replacing one million coffee-size jars with reusable containers will divert 260 tons of waste and save customers up to $78,890 in packaging costs.

In addition to reducing packaging, bulk foods decrease carbon emissions generated by the food packaging industry. Manufacturing packaging in factories requires energy, and generates paper and plastic waste. The cost and environmental effects of transporting packaged goods – which often travel long distances – is also a drawback to buying packaged foods.

Most bulk food containers have the nutrition facts and ingredients list posted on the bin, so you can easily find out what is in your food. Of course, buying food in bulk is the most eco-friendly when you bring your own containers to fill, so invest in some inexpensive reusable produce bags (for items like nuts) and some reusable plastic or other storage containers. If you bring plastic storage containers like Tupperware, weigh them empty at home, then tell the cashier the weight of the container so he or she can deduct it from the total weight of your food.  

Besides being environmentally friendly, buying food in bulk is also cost-effective. Since the expense of packaging isn’t factored into the product price, bulk food costs less per ounce than packaged food. Another bonus: when you buy in bulk, you can make sure you get the exact amount that you want, whereas some food manufacturers may not fill their packages to a precise 8 ounces. Buying in bulk also ensures that you’ll get no more of a product than what you’ll use, cutting down on food waste. Buying in bulk also encourages creativity – mix together granola, dried fruit and nuts for a healthy trail mix or breakfast, create your own rice medley or sample a new type of lentils.

Most bulk foods, like nuts and cereals, have the same shelf life as packaged foods if stored properly. Some items like whole wheat flours, however, need to be stored in a cool, dry place – it is best to research how to correctly store your bulk foods.

Photo credit: flickr.com/photos/bcmom/42136282