Audio clip
Tammy Gaffe
When you reach for a bag of grains on the grocery shelves, you’re paying for a lot more than its contents. Add on a few cents for packaging. Even more for printing and advertising. And then think about the cost to the environment.
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that nearly 80 million tons of waste is generated from packaging and containers annually, nearly a third of annual municipal solid waste.
That’s what makes shoppers such as Claire Haynes buy in bulk from bins. While recently perusing bins filled with everything from buckwheat to bulgur and grits to gluten at Greenlife Grocery, she said buying straight from the bins is one way to spend less money and get exactly the amount she needs.
“And you don’t have to pay for packaging you’ll just end up throwing away,” she said.
But bin buying has been slow to catch on in town, says store manager Tammy Graffe.
“When we moved into our new store, we added a few bulk items, like honey, olive oil and maple syrup, but they’re not going anywhere,” she said. “And it’s funny, because at our store in Asheville (N.C.), it’s insane how many people buy in bulk.”
And she doesn’t get it.
“People get such a better price when they buy in bulk, and they don’t put the packaging back into the landfill. And it’s all about the landfill. That’s the whole idea behind bulk in our store.”
However, there are some areas of bulk buying that do well in the Manufacturers Road store: bulk almond, peanut and chocolate peanut butters.
At Village Market in Collegedale, more than 300 bins are filled with everything from beans to rice to snacks. The lower price is the big draw, according to market manager Gary Shockley.
“Bins offer a lower price because there’s not a lot of individual packaging like that found in regular retail,” he said. “The bin items are transported in larger quantities so we’re not charged as much, and we’re able to pass those savings along to the consumer.”
For example, at Village Market, Jasmine rice costs $1.75 for a 16-ounce package but $1.30 per pound when bought in bulk. A 1-pound bag of whole-wheat flour is $1.35, while the bulk price is 89 cents.
Similar discounts are given for organic products as well. Village Market sells organic black beans prepackaged at $1.99 per pound and $1.10 in bulk.
Bulk foods are sold in reusable, often recyclable, bags and containers. Because it’s a do-it-yourself function, customers have complete freedom in deciding how much they’ll be buying. The process involves nothing more than filling a bag and writing down the item’s bin number for checkout.
TIPS FOR BIN BUYING
* Be adventurous. Purchase a small portion of a new food, and return for more if you like it. Bulk bins are an excellent way to expand your food repertoire.
* Use bulk buying as a reason to better organize your pantry. Buy labels and organize your cupboards to accommodate the types of food you need.
* If you need larger quantities (i.e. a 25-pound bag of millet), ask a staff member about a special order.
Source: National Cooperative Grocers Association
