Amazing Benefits Of Buying Bulk Foods
Purchasing your food in bulk has many wonderful benefits for both you and the planet. Take a look at the reasons below and see how shopping in bulk can help you become a more sustainable shopper and adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle (plus bulk shopping is a lot of fun and can also save your money!)
1. Reduce Waste
By shopping at bulk food shops, you will reduce both your packaging and your food waste. Buying in bulk removes the need for unnecessary packaging and single-use plastic, so you’re only buying the yummy food, and not the excess packaging. By making the switch to buying in bulk, you will make a drastic impact on your weekly household waste. Plus, it will encourage you to be more mindful about your choices as a consumer – a win for your pantry and a win for the planet!
2. Reduce Transport Miles
Bulk goods require less overall transportation because there are less packaging components that must be produced and transported before to being filled. The transportation of bulk products is more efficient because they can be packed more densely on a truck in large sacks and boxes as opposed to smaller, individually packaged items (did you know that most crisp packets are actually 75% air!). Some of our wonderful suppliers are also completely closed loop, meaning they reuse their delivery containers on their next deliveries, over and over again – isn’t that amazing?
3. It’s Cheaper
Generally speaking buying in bulk is cheaper than shopping in a traditional mass supermarket because you aren’t paying for excessive packaging. Without the fancy branding that companies charge for, buying in bulk means you are getting nothing but the product – pure and simple!
4. You Can Buy Exactly How Much You Need
When you buy in bulk you can scoop outjust the right amount that you need so there is no food waste. So example, if a recipe requires 250 grams of quinoa, you can measure and buy exactly that amount – rather than getting a big kilo bag that may take up important space in your cupboard (not to mention collecting dust)!
Being able to buy in bulk also gives you the flexibility to try new products as you can sample small portions before investing in more. With no minimum purchase of anything in store, you can also buy small quantities of different items to make up recipes or mixes like your own granola or muesli– that means you can let your creativity shine in the kitchen!
5. Food Stays Fresher
Because you can buy exactly what you need, you can say bye to old packets of half-used products sitting in the cupboard! And instead, benefit from the freshest produce. Popular bulk food stores like The Source have a high stock turnover, which means you are always buying the freshest products!
6. Shop Consciously
Buying in bulk helps you think about your food waste and the amount of packaging being used. And because you’re being more mindful of your consumption and waste, you’ll shop more conscientiously everywhere else! Even things like buying almonds in bulk and making your own almond milk can eliminate wasteful packaging. Being a mindful shopper makes a massive difference to our world. And you’ll be so inspired to spread the word and encourage family and friends to make changes in their own behaviours and lifestyles!
7. Sustainability
The manufacture and production of materials for packaging clears trees in our forests, dumps contaminated water into our streams and uses gigantic amounts of energy resulting in huge levels of CO2 emissions being released into our atmosphere! Single use plastic is a monumental environmental threat right now as it is contaminating our world faster than ever before. Saying no to plastic and packaging is standing up for the type of world you want to see and protect. Bulk food stores like The Source are also passionate about sourcing organic produce, locally made produce and fair trade products. These items are all more sustainable in their very nature and place far less stress on the world and the people growing and harvesting these products.
8. Get Back To Basics
In our fast paced world of today, there is a place and need to get back to basics- keeping it simple as possible and to get back to ‘The Source’. This is what shopping at bulk food stores is all about! It is shopping the old-fashioned way and keeping things simple. Cooking from scratch like our grandmothers used to and getting rid of over processed and packaged products is a truer, more rewarding and nourishing way to live.
9. It’s Personal, Fun And Interactive
The Source Bulk Foods employs zero-waste enthusiasts and passionate foodies so you can always have a chat & ask about the food you are buying. With all the new health food products on the market now it can be intimidating to know the difference between chia or quinoa, and maca powder and mesquite powder so there is someone experienced in-store that you can ask. Combine this with scooping out goodies from bulk food bins and you have an interactive grocery shopping experience. This gives you a real relationship with your food. It is all about nourishing your body, caring for the planet and setting up practices in your day to day life that have a positive and far reaching effects on the world around you.
