Ditch the plastic and buy loose fruit and veg to save money and waste

“Anyone for the apples, oranges or ripe bananas?” Those were the cries to be heard from Dublin’s Moore Street traders who would hand pick a few bits for you in a speedy transaction that was done in seconds. Shopping for fresh produce in a supermarket these days is far less efficient.
You can have “Small bananas, six-pack”, “Ripe bananas, five-pack”, “Mini bananas 7-pack”, “Organic Fair Trade bananas” or 1kg of “Best Taste” bananas. They’re all all in plastic bags and you’re bamboozled with the choice. The quickest thing to do is just grab a bag and get on with your life.
The carrots are bagged up too. You only want half that amount, and some in the bag look gammy, but in they go. Onions? You only use two but there are five in a net, one of which looks ancient. You want a red and a yellow pepper, but there’s a three-pack including a green one so you take it.
So much of our food shopping is a waste of time and money. Choosing it, packing it, driving it home, unpacking it, storing it and ultimately binning some of it. Week after week, we pay money, at the till, and again in bin charges, for food we never use.
Food waste is a big problem for both our pockets and the planet, says StopFoodWaste.ie, a national campaign from the Environment Protection Agency. Globally, more than a quarter of food produced is wasted each year – this has social, environmental and economic consequences.
In Ireland, we produce about 750,000 tonnes of food waste each year, with Irish households generating 220,000 tonnes of it, according to Government figures. The average Irish household throws out 120kg of food each year. Fruit and salads are two of the food items we waste most.
One simple action you can take to save time and money is to buy your fruit and veg loose, according to Stopfoodwaste.ie
When you buy loose, it’s much easier to buy closer to your needs. You don’t end up buying lots extra that you won’t get round to eating before it goes off.
Rather than putting up with the random selection in a bag, some of which may already be dodgy, you get to choose the specific pieces and number of fruit and veg you want, giving you more control over quantity and size. You can avoid that ginormous carrot that’s impossible to chop and tastes like a tree root.
By opting for loose bananas, you can pick ones that are at different stages of ripening – a few yellow ones for now and some greener ones for later in the week. You can choose different sizes too.
A whole head of lettuce will stay fresh longer than a bag of leaves – especially hardier lettuce types, such as cos, endive or little gem, says StopFoodWaste.ie. Choosing loose and unpackaged fruit and veg means less plastic too, and so less in your recycling bin, which also saves you money.
The other big tip to save money on food waste is storage – a fruit bowl isn’t always the best option. Bananas, apples and pears produce ethylene gas that causes other fruit to ripen faster. Store them separately from other fruit to keep for longer.
Bananas shouldn’t go in the fridge, but apples will last longer there. Bananas and avocados can be stored at room temperature.
Raspberries and blueberries will last longer in a rigid container in the fridge, kept level to avoid damage. Take out any furry ones to stop contagion.
Keep peppers in the vegetable drawer of the fridge for up to a week and wash only when you’re ready to use them. Rather than waiting for that extra pepper to wilt, wash, cut and freeze it. It will be softer when defrosted but will have retained its flavour and can be used on pizzas, for example.
Next time you’re in the supermarket, ditch the plastic and buy loose. You’ll save money and avoid waste.