7 Simple Hacks For A Zero-Waste Pantry

Last time we spoke, we shared our tips for detoxing your cleaning cupboard of potentially harmful chemicals and pollutants. We also listed seven natural cleaning recipes made from everyday pantry items found at The Source Bulk Foods, like olive oil, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda),  sea salt and white vinegar.

Ditch Plastic

It’s time to ditch plastic once and for all. According to Ocean Watch Australia, humans use a shocking five trillion plastic bags per year. Globally, that’s 160,000 plastic bags every second! Given that plastic bags have a usage life of roughly 12 minutes yet stick around for 1000 years, it’s time we change these scary statistics, and fast. Here’s how:

1. Stop using plastic bags when shopping. There’s no need to use a plastic produce bag for your three oranges or two apples. Nor do you need to package your purchased foods in a plastic carry bag. Instead, use a recyclable canvas bag, paper bag or backpack.

2. Say no to plastic straws. Don’t succumb to the excuse, “It’s just one straw”. If the entire population of Australia used ‘just one straw’, we’d see 25 million plastic straws go to landfill every single day.

3. Ditch the plastic wrap. With options like reusable bowl covers, beeswax or hemp bowl wraps, or even a plate on top of the bowl, there are plenty of ways to store food.

Buy Local and Seasonal Food

Buying food direct from farmers, artisan producers and butchers will save you, the planet and your pocket. Better yet, get gardening!

Nowadays, there are so many ways to grow fruit, herbs and veggies in even the smallest of spaces. Kids love gardening too, and it’s a wonderful way to educate them about where food comes from, how to care for it and how to prepare it.

Worried about keeping your herbs fresh? Don’t be – instead of using a plastic bag, wrap your herbs in a damp tea towel and store in the fridge. It will keep them fresher for longer.

Buy in Bulk

This one’s a no brainer; buy your food in bulk. When buying food in bulk, you reduce your plastic waste significantly, enjoy more fresh food and avoid any unnecessary food waste.

Come see us at The Source Bulk Foods, bring a few reused glass jars or help yourself to our paper bags and fill up. We have a huge range of delicious, healthy and zero-waste pantry items that will keep your wallet happier, our planet thriving and your tummy fuller for longer.

Choose Healthy Fats

Instead of filling your pantry with unhealthy foods like chips, biscuits and other highly-processed or sugary snacks, choose healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocados, oils and eggs. Fat takes longer to digest, so you are satisfied for longer.

Next time you’re visiting The Source Bulk Foods, stock up on healthy oils like olive oil, coconut oil and sesame oil. We also have a huge selection of seeds, such as pepitas (pumpkin seeds), hemp seeds, linseeds (flaxseeds), chia seeds and sunflower seeds, as well as nuts, such as almonds,  macadamias, cashews, pecans and walnuts.

Did you know we make our own nut butter at The Source Bulk Foods? Come in for a taste test of our popular peanut and almond nut butters or our delicious ABC (almond, brazil nut and cashew) butter.

Plan Your Meals in Advance

Planning you and your family’s meals for the week is a simple yet satisfying task. Meal planning gives you the opportunity to prepare for those late nights stuck at work. Not much beats knowing you’ve got a healthy, nutritious and easy-to-prepare meal waiting for you at home.

Double The Batch

It’s always a good idea to double your recipes. If you’re making a lasagne, bolognese, soup or stew, double the batch. If you don’t end up using the meal that week, simply freeze it for an easy night in.

Plus, cook more rice, beans, pasta, lentils or mash than you need in the first sitting. Add to almost any dish to bulk it up with nutrition and keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.

Avoid Food Waste

In Australia, 3.28 million tonnes of food is driven to landfill each year. That’s a shocking 137 kilograms of food waste per person each year! Alexx Stuart, food-waste expert, activist and author of Low Tox Life, shares her three top tips for sending less food to landfill.

1. Start a fridge waste list. Write down everything you throw in the bin and make it a family challenge each week to reduce the number of items on your list. If it’s blank at the end of the week, celebrate.

2. Don’t toss out sad or stodgy veggies. Instead, boil them with homemade stock and a few spices or herbs, add a splash of cream or coconut cream and blend in a food processor for a simple soup.

3. Keep animal fats for reusing. Simply drain into a jar and use in place of butter or olive oil next time you’re frying.