Looking for a clever way to save cash at the grocery store while doing your part to keep plastic waste out of landfills?
One sustainability influencer has a simple solution you may not have considered: making your own grab-and-go salad mixes at home.
The scoop
Instagram user Sustainability Matters (@sustainabilitymattersva) recently shared an Instagram video demonstrating how easy it is to pass on pricey, plastic-packaged salad kits in favor of a homemade alternative.
"Please do not be tricked into buying these pre-packed salad mixes at the grocery store," Sustainability Matters advises. "For around the same amount of money, you can buy all of this produce and make at least double what you would have gotten."
The sustainability advocate explains that whipping up your own salad mix only takes a couple of minutes, will save you "lots of money," and, perhaps best of all, "will help prevent unnecessary plastic waste."
How it's helping
Making your own salad mixes at home instead of buying pre-packaged versions can result in major savings. In 2022, the blog Everyday Cheapskate found that bagged salads cost 420% more than loose heads of romaine — your local supermarket may see an even more inflated markup today.
By preparing a big batch of greens and veggies to keep in the fridge, you'll not only streamline your meal prep routine but also cut down on wasteful plastic clamshell packaging destined for the landfill, where it'll release dirty gases as it breaks down over hundreds of years.
According to Yale University, the average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year — and only 1% of those plastic bags are returned for recycling. By bringing your own reusable produce bags to transport loose heads of lettuce and other salad components, you can help keep harmful plastic waste out of the environment.
What everyone's saying
Commenters echoed Sustainability Matters' concerns about pre-packaged salad kits. Several said they feel guilty buying bagged salads because of the waste involved.
"I do buy bagged salad occasionally, but I feel bad when I do because I reflect that there's probably lots of waste with these products because they go bad quickly," one commenter wrote. "I'll bet the stores throw a ton of unpurchased bags of salad out each week, because a customer is only going to buy the ones with the most recent date."
Others suggested shoppers have grown too dependent on convenience foods. "People have gotten so lazy and just want convenience over price and plastic waste. It's sad," another commenter lamented. "I know people are busy but my grandma raised 7 kids [and] did not have the conveniences we do and still managed to keep a clean home and put food on the table."
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