{"id":3299,"date":"2008-08-13T06:00:08","date_gmt":"2008-08-13T12:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=3299"},"modified":"2008-08-13T06:00:08","modified_gmt":"2008-08-13T12:00:08","slug":"bulk-up-to-save-money-resources-and-the-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/bulk-up-to-save-money-resources-and-the-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"Bulk Up to Save Money, Resources, and the Planet"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>When you think of \u201cbuying in bulk,\u201d you may well envision barrels of mustard and mayonnaise, cereal boxes large enough for your family to live in, and tubes of toothpaste too big to pick up with one hand. And, depending on where (and how) you shop, you may not be far off the mark.<\/p>\n However, buying bulk does not necessarily mean putting a strain on your car\u2019s shocks and struts whenever you go on a shopping spree. Nor does it mean listening to your shelves groan under the weight of gargantuan packages of\u2026well, you name it. Nor does it mean endless meals with sides of ketchup in order to beat the dreaded expiration date.<\/p>\n Just about every natural foods store nowadays has a much more manageable option for buying bulk: bulk bins<\/strong>. If you head on over to the Bulk Section, you will find little plastic or glass dispensers of countless foods, herbs and spices, teas, and sometimes even soaps or other household products. So, for example, you can hit the bulk bins and stock up on oatmeal, dried fruits and nuts for trail mix (make it yourself or get some already made in another bulk bin), and maybe pick up some ground ginger and peppermint for tea.<\/p>\n Bulk bins are fantastic ways to be a conscious consumer for a number of reasons.<\/p>\n Bulk items are universally cheaper than products on the shelves. This frugality factor arises primarily from the fact that purchasing in large volumes costs less; this is why Wal-Mart can sell stuff so cheaply, because it buys LOTS AND LOTS of everything. Since the stores purchase voluminous bags of bulk items (25, 50, and even more pounds each), it pays the manufacturer\/distributor less and so can \u201cpass the savings on to you!\u201d Ergo, you fork out less money when you dip into a bulk bin.<\/p>\n Another benefit is that you avoid the added, environmentally unfriendly<\/em> cost of excess packaging–from cardboard (made from trees) to plastic (made from petroleum) and beyond. Instead, you scoop up your product into a (normally) recyclable plastic bag or some other means of storage. Even better, you can also reuse<\/em> these bags and so cut down on resource consumption even further!<\/p>\n Bulk bins are great, too, because you do not<\/em> have to buy massive quantities yourself; the store has to bear the burden of bulky amounts, not you. Instead, you can get as much or as little of any product you want\u2026which means not paying for more than you expect to use in the near future, as is the case with most pre-packaged products.<\/p>\n I love bulk bins. I buy just about everything I use from the bulk section. And if fresh produce came in bulk bins, I would surely buy it there, too! The bulk section is always a happening place\u2026for kids especially (not to mention many adults). After all, those countless clear-plastic showcases offer one last \u201cbenefit\u201d: lots and lots and lots of FREE SAMPLES!!!<\/strong> Well, not exactly<\/em> free, of course\u2026.<\/p>\n At least you can walk away from the bulk section with a lighter heart knowing you saved some cash and did a good thing for the planet even if your cart is loaded down with stuff\u2026and your belly, too.<\/p>\n Image credit:Infrogmation<\/a> at Wikimedia Commons<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n