Environmentally Friendly Shopping: Where to Go

Shopping consciously is an important step to reducing our daily consumption of single use, non-biodegradable packaging and making our lives more environmentally friendly. We’ve collected recommendations from our readers and compiled a list of where to buy items in bulk, unpackaged items or are able take your own containers.  This list will grow with time, so please add your own favourite places to the list of favourite places you visit for environmentally friendly shopping.

Plastic Bag Free Shopping 

You can buy cloth bags or bring your own.

Unpackaged Vegetables 

Most grocery stores offer some unpackaged fruit and veg, so be sure to look there first.  Food Lover’s Market offers the best variety of unpackaged fresh fruit and veg and will pack it all into a box at the till point. The till operators can be quick to bag all your carefully selected items so remember to specify that you don’t want any plastic bags.

Veg from markets have no packaging. Try Earth Fair Market and City Bowl Market in Cape Town alternatively order veggie boxes from Harvest of Hope and Think Organic in Cape Town for minimal packaging.

Bulk Buying 

Team up with some friends and neighbours and buy in bulk. You’ll get to share the experience of stocking up with others and feel good about the fact that you are reducing the amount or packaging you are using.

• Fargo Trading Company in 3 Malta House, Malta Road, Salt River.  This place is so worth a visit. It stocks spices, pulses, grains, nuts, dried fruit, incense and a variety of exotic ingredients all in bulk and also in smaller quantities and at very good prices.
• Atlas Trading Company, 104 Wale Street in Bo Kaap.  Another brilliant shopping experience in Cape Town. Great for beans, rice, nuts, oils, dried fruit and of course their huge array of spices – much of it is sold by weight or in small or bulk quantities.
• Yellow Submarine, 59 Bamboesvlei Road, Ottery.  Buy grains, pulses, nuts, dried fruit and seeds by the kilogram at great prices.
• Better Earth sells cleaning products that are gentle on the environment (and your hands), available in bulk.
• Scarborough Green Shop sells pulses and grains in big bins. Fill your own container. Alongside the The Village Hub.