5 Easy Ways to Reduce Plastic and Waste at the Farmer’s Market

Summer is almost here—which means community Farmer’s Markets are in full swing! The farmer’s market is a wonderful way to support local farms, promote sustainable growing practices, and uphold local food security. Another advantage of shopping at your local farmer’s market is the opportunity to reduce waste. Produce at the farmer’s market most often comes unpackaged and without produce stickers, which allow you the opportunity to buy package-free. However, unless you come prepared, it’s easy to reach for a plastic produce bag or come home with unnecessary waste. Here are 5 simple ways to reduce waste while shopping at your local farmer’s market:

1. Bring your own produce bags + containers

To avoid plastic produce bags, bring your own. You can buy produce bags, make them yourself, or use something you already have on hand. If you want to make them, you can use scrap fabric, such as old bedding or shirts. If you’re not up for a DIY project, you can simply reuse the plastic or paper produce bags you got during your last grocery haul, and keep them in rotation as long as possible.

2. Don’t take berry baskets

Consider bringing a container to the Farmer’s Market to put your berries in and leave the plastic basket they’re sold in with the vendor. You can hand the plastic basket or cardboard container back to the vendor for them to reuse. (If you take it home and then try and return it, the vendors cannot always accept it so it’s ideal to give it back to them on the spot). Not only does this help reduce waste, but it also keeps your berries from being crushed in transit. An old glass jar (like a tall pasta sauce jar) or Tupperware can help protect them as you put other produce into your bag.

3. Bring a utensil kit

Bring a set of utensils if you plan to eat something during your farmer’s market trip. There are usually a number of wonderful food trucks or prepared meal stalls that are worth hitting up. If you bring your own utensil kit, you avoid having to use disposable ones during your mid-shopping meal. You don’t have to go out and buy anything fancy for this. You can just pack a set from your cutlery drawer. You may also want to throw in a Tupperware as well and ask if the vendor would be ok putting your food in it instead of a disposable container. An added bonus to bringing Tupperware is having a reusable container on-hand to bring home any leftovers.

4. Buy ugly produce

If food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest emitting country in the world. When food rots in a landfill it emits methane gas, it emits methane gas, a greenhouse gas 30x more powerful than CO2. When we throw food out, we also waste all of the resources it took to produce it (energy, water, labor, transportation, etc). By reducing what we waste, we’re taking an active step in fighting climate change. Buying ugly produce is a way to help combat the food waste problem.

When shopping at the farmer’s market, look under the table and you might find boxes of bruised or “cosmetically challenged” produce for discounted prices. Used bruised or overripe stone fruit to make pies, cobblers, or jam; and avocados to make guacamole. If you’re using the produce in recipes, who cares what it looks like?

If the vendors are not selling separate ugly produce, you can also look for imperfect produce on the tables. Ugly produce is less likely to sell. By purchasing it, you’re reducing the likelihood that it will be thrown out at the end of the day.

5. Don’t forget a tote

You will want to remember to bring a large tote bag or basket to carry home all of your edible treasures. A bag that isn’t too deep and has a wide bottom is always best so you can lay out the produce on the bottom without having to stack a lot on top of each other. This helps avoid squishing. Tupperware also helps keep produce from getting smashed in your bag.