5 Helpful Tips for More Sustainable Grocery Shopping 

Research by Maple Leaf Foods has revealed that Canadians throw away an average of $50 worth of expired food a week, and over a third are looking for tips on how they can help to reduce food waste and preserve our planet for future generations¹. There’s no Planet B, so this Earth Day, we’re sharing some friendly tips for little changes you can make while grocery shopping that can have a big impact on the environment. 

5 Grocery Shopping Tips

1. Remember reusable bags

By bringing your own bags to the grocery store, you’re helping to decrease waste and pollution caused by plastic bags that can take hundreds of years to decompose in landfill. If you forget your bags, choose paper over plastic where possible but remember – buying more bags than you need will end up creating unnecessary waste too. Also, don’t forget produce bags! It can be tough to skip plastic produce bags when you don’t want your produce rolling around in your cart or touching the conveyor belt, but cotton mesh bags are a great alternative to plastic and are available to buy at most grocery stores. 

2. Opt for less packaging or recyclable packaging

Try to avoid products in excessive packaging and in packaging that can’t be recycled. This way, you can reduce your own environmental footprint and the amount of waste you send to landfills. 

3. Freeze marked-down finds

Look for fresh foods such as bread and meat that have been marked down and freeze them for later. This not only reduces food waste but also the impact on your wallet.

4. Meal plan ahead

Plan your meals ahead and don’t overbuy foods you can’t freeze. If you love fresh produce, it’s best to head to the grocery store when you need it, in order to avoid having to throw out food that’s gone bad. 

5. Look for logos

While shopping, be sure to read the packaging and look for environmentally friendly logos like ‘Non-GMO’ (which suggests healthier, unprocessed ingredients), or for more sustainable brands that display a Carbon Zero logo, such as Maple Leaf Foods. When you choose these products, you’re supporting efforts to build a carbon neutral world. 

Happy Earth Day!

About the author 
Tim Faveri is Vice President, Sustainability & Shared Value at Maple Leaf Foods and is known amongst friends as a ‘Green Guru’. To learn all about key environmental terms and some little changes you can make in your everyday lives that have a big impact on the planet, visit: https://www.mapleleaf.ca/carbonneutral/green-glossary/

 ^{1 About this Study: These are the findings of a study commissioned by Maple Leaf Foods among a nationally representative sample of 1,532 Canadians who are members of the online Angus Reid Forum, balanced and weighted on age, gender, region and education. For comparison purposes only, a sample of this size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The study was conducted in English and French from March 17-21, 2022.}