Buying groceries in bulk is cost effective and can be eco-friendly if you bring your own containers. A total win-win! Great for you and for our beautiful (but struggling) planet. We began purchasing groceries in bulk in early 2019 (see related post) and found that there was a small and easily surmountable learning curve. Based on our experiences we’ve broken the process down into 5 easy steps. You’re going to know how to buy bulk groceries without plastic packaging in no time!

Step 1: Find containers to bring to the store

Think about what you want to purchase and the type of container that will work best. It could be a mason jar, a tupperware container, a fabric produce bag… or in our case, it could be a bunch of empty yogurt containers! We eat Greek yogurt out of 32 oz containers and for a couple of months we decided to keep them instead of tossing them into the recycle bin. Now we have a stash of light weight containers that all weigh the same amount – which makes it easier on the grocery store cashiers. And trust us, this BYO container bulk shopping thing is new to many of them, so making it easier is essential! Our yogurt containers may not be “Pinterest-worthy”, but they’re effective and enable us to reuse something we already have.

Step 2: Determine the “tare weight” of your containers

The tare weight is the amount that the cashier is going to need to subtract so that you don’t end up paying for the weight of your container. Containers/bags that are specifically created for bulk shopping they often list their tare weight – super helpful! If you’re using your own random containers (cough cough, yogurt containers) you’ll need to weigh them. You have a few options for determining your tare weight.

If you have a food scale at home, use it! Or at the grocery store you usually have two options – you can go up to the cashier with your empty containers and ask them to weigh them for you. Or the bulk aisle may have scales – you can also use these to weigh your containers (with the lids on). We recommend writing down your tare weights so that you only have to weigh them once. You don’t want to habitually slow down your grocery shopping routine with this extra step. We have used a permanent marker to write directly on some of our containers, or you could make a note in your phone. Do whatever works best for you!

Step 3: Remember to bring your containers to the store

Getting your containers in the store is a crucial step! New habits are easy to forget, so we have implemented a little trick to help ourselves remember. As we make our grocery list we put a little mark next to each item that will require a bulk container so that we make sure to bring enough [yogurt] containers to the store. We keep our yogurt containers in our pantry and we grab however many we need as we make our shopping list – but you could also consider keeping a stash of them in your car if that works better for your routine. You have to find what works best for you so that it becomes easily repeatable.

Step 4: Fill your containers with all sorts of yummy bulk goodies!

Remember to keep track of the item number for the foods that you’re dispensing in your containers. Each bulk bin will have a PLU code (price-look-up) that tells the cashier how to charge you for your items. Either write the PLU down on your grocery list or take a picture of the bin. We tend to buy the same bulk foods over and over, so I’ve started a photo album on my phone of all our common PLUs. While the price may fluctuate, the PLU stays constant.

Step 5: Pay for your bulk goods

Purchasing bulk goods in your own container isn’t hard per se, but we’ve found that it takes some patience and a bit of confidence. Though Sprouts (our current grocery store of choice) has a large bulk food section, most shoppers don’t bring their own containers. Therefore, the majority of cashiers don’t know how to enter the tare weight of the containers. Don’t let that stop you though! They can call their manager over for a quick tutorial, or often they have a manual at their station that gives them step-by-step instructions. Here’s what we do:

We put our bulk items last on the conveyer belt. As the cashier is quickly scanning our other items we explain that we’ve used our own containers for bulk items and that we’re going to want to have the tare weight subtracted. This is usually when we are met with blank stares and confusion. Stay calm, you got this! Once the cashier has figured out the process or called for help, you’re going to need to provide two things: the tare weight and the PLU code. In our case, all of our yogurt containers weigh the same amount, so that’s easily repeatable, and then I use my aforementioned photo album of PLUs to quickly rattle them off as the cashier is weighing our food. Once again though, find what works for you and your local bulk grocery store.

We have only encountered one cashier who knew how to do the taring process without help, but we’ve hung in there with all of the others as they’ve learned the process. It can feel a bit awkward to slow down the line during the learning process, but remember that you’re doing it for the environment. All of the sea creatures are thanking you!

That’s it – 5 easy steps that explain how to buy bulk groceries without plastic packaging! For all of you bulk shoppers out there, what other tips do you have? And for all of you newbies, what questions do you have for us?

xo, Nicole