Here’s a Down to Earth shopping hack for you—shop in bulk. This may seem too simple to make an impact on your life, but give it a try and see for yourself how it can help you save money, reduce packaging and food waste, and allow for more control over your food purchases.
All our Down to Earth stores have fantastic bulk sections. By selecting items in bulk instead of equivalent items that are pre-packaged, you can get exactly what you need. If you're trying out a new recipe that calls for a teaspoon of a spice that you don’t have on-hand, you can buy precisely one teaspoon. There are no quantity limitations, so go small!
For example, a teaspoon of dill from our bulk section will only cost you about 75 cents! This is an amazing option, rather than spending $5 or $10 dollars on a jar when you may not use it often. Have you ever found spices in your kitchen that you only used once, and the rest ended up being wasted? Shop consciously and precisely with bulk spices.
Another great option found in bulk are almond and peanut butters. Our grinders allow you to get the freshest nut butters possible at the quantity that is best for you. You can also purchase many ‘ono kinds of trail mixes, raw or toasted nuts, dried fruits, and other sweet treats for a snack that’s just the size you need.
Being able to buy a teaspoon of this, 1 cup of that, or 10 cups of something else, you can perfectly personalize your shopping trip without the restrictions of pre-packaged quantities. Bulk shopping can also help cut back on food waste in your home with well-planned meals, and the ability to purchase exactly what you need, when you need it, avoiding extra ingredients that can become stale or spoiled.
Try our rice, pasta, flour, nutritional yeast, and even chili & soup mixes in bulk. By not purchasing these items pre-packaged by the manufacturer, you can re-use the bag you purchase it in. Most conventional packages don’t allow for re-use or recycling.
Ideally you’d be able to shop in our bulk aisles directly into your own containers, like the glass jars you store your goods in at home, to truly reduce all waste. Unfortunately, due to Hawaii State Department of Health restrictions on customer containers and concerns of cross-contamination, you must use a new, clean bag from our store for all bulk good purchases. Despite this restriction you can still easily reduce single-use plastic waste by re-using the bags your bulk goods come in.
Next time you visit Down to Earth look for the Bulk section, or find some bulk items in our online stores. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the great quality, natural, and organic foods you can find there- for less money and with less waste.