Zero Waste Grocery Stores Go Mainstream

The Movement Towards Shopping Sustainably  

In the past, when consumers headed to the local grocery store, their concerns may or may not have included the grocery bags, the produce bags, or the individual packaging used for certain products. Shoppers and stores were more likely to prioritize convenience, a wide variety to select from, and accessibility. However, all of those bags and plastic items end up in a landfill or our oceans. As consumers, groups and government organizations have begun to work against this, many food stores are working to reduce waste.  

The trash from packaging and grocery stores add up quickly and largely contributes to our waste output as a country. Thus, to combat this, the sustainable shopping movement was born. The movement has gained a significant amount of momentum within the last 15 years, and continues to do so. This movement is where the concept of zero waste stores came from. 

What Does it Mean to be a Zero Waste Grocery Store? 

The idea to replace plastic packaging with reusable items first began in Europe in the late 2000s. After the launch of the first true “zero waste” grocery, the concept spread like wildfire and was soon reproduced in North America. 

The Goal of Zero-Waste Grocery Stores 

The goal of zero waste grocery stores is straightforward: eliminate all food waste and packaging within the store’s operations. These stores require customers to bring their own reusable grocery bags into the store to collect the items they need, rather than using plastic bags. Most stores will leave paper bags, or other types of reusable bags, for customer use and convenience, because not everyone comes to the store prepared each time. 

More often than not, these grocery stores are designed in a warehouse or market-style which includes most items being bought in bulk, rather than wrapped individually. This approach eliminates a significant amount of waste from excess plastic.  

These zero waste grocery stores also reduce waste from the food waste angle. Generally, these stores will steer clear of selling a large amount of items that have quick expiration dates. The food that does expire before being bought has a predetermined destination such as a composting site, rendering service, or a food bank. By the way, rendering services collect inedible byproducts from meat and use them to create ingredients used for biofuel and other products around the house. 

The source of their products are also greatly important for these stores and they typically aim to buy locally. Two of the core parts in the zero-waste store process that are moving us closer to producing no waste are:  

1.  Shopping locally  

2. Eliminating disposable bags by replacing them with reusable ones 

The zero waste grocery store concept has grown steadily in Canada. There are a number of fully-fledged zero waste stores across the country, and even more online retailers. The last five years have shown the sustainability concept become more popular as ideas like these gain traction. 

What Impact Have Sustainable Groceries Made? 

A difference has been made both in concept and practice thanks to zero waste stores and the sustainable shopping movement. This is clearly visible when it comes to eliminating waste. Beyond that, larger retail grocery chains have noticed and begun to take action due to the movement. In Canada, 1.31 million tonnes of food waste is lost from grocery stores each year. A huge percentage of the food and plastic waste ends up in landfills and further contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Thankfully, the industry is now taking note and strides to change this for the better. Better for the people, and better for the environment. 

The “10x20x30 Initiative” is a coalition including the top 10 largest food retailers that are engaging with suppliers. Together, they are working over the next 10 years to reduce waste related to food. Walmart, Kroger, and Ikea Food are all a part of this coalition. The goal is to cut their food waste in half by around 2030 by having 10 of these companies engaging with a minimum of 20 suppliers to reach their goal. Both the consumers and the retailers would benefit from this change. According to the World Resources Institute, $980 billion worth of food, one third of the food around the world, is wasted. This also contributes to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

We are striving for a healthier, cleaner planet. Having major food retailers take initiative to function more sustainably proves the sustainable shopping movement and zero waste grocery stores are making a difference.  

Darling Ingredients Canada assists food retail stores and supermarkets across the country manage their waste. If you are a food store working towards lower waste, we can help. Partnering with us comes with full-service in containment, collection, and recycling used cooking oil and other organic, inedible waste along with pumping and cleaning of your grease trap. Find out how the environment and your business can benefit from partnering with Darling Ingredients by calling 1-800-263-0302.