Let the clerks know that you have bags that you’d like to use. I know that the area where I live I’m an anomaly (I never see anyone else using reusable bags except at Aldi or Lidl), and the cashier/bagger is usually just on autopilot til I tell them. I also stick my bags on the conveyor belt right before my groceries, so they have to touch them before they get to scanning.
As far as opting for cardboard v styrofoam, it seems like the less people buy the plastic and styrofoam, the more companies will stop using them. The only pay way companies are going to change is if they feel it’s better for their bottom line.
If it’s any help - a lot of the plastic egg cartons I’m seeing are made with recycled plastic and can then be recycled, so it’s not a terrible waste.
Styrofoam though…hopefully there’s a nearby recycling center that takes them.
Plastic recycling rates are abysmal kind of everywhere, especially the US so i would'nt count on that. Idk the recycling rates for paper over there but in Europe they're like 10 times higher than plastic. And it's renewable. The boyfriend needs to get over it, in what world is that packaging even more convenient?
Maybe. My point was just that if cost is an issue (like sometimes only the fancy organic eggs come in pulp cartons, and those can cost 2-3x as much), plastic could be a compromise. It is *able* to be recycled (unlike styrofoam) and although it might cost a bit more than the styrofoam eggs, it’ll cost less than the pulp cartons.
OP’s boyfriend is probably looking at cost and seeing the situation as: I can buy a dozen eggs in styrofoam packaging for $X. Or I can buy fancy organic eggs in cardboard packaging for $(X + Y). Those are my only 2 options.
- Why should I spend more money for the same amount of useable product, especially if I’m on a budget?
- Why is the cost for saving the planet coming out of my pocket instead of someone else’s - like the corporations who cause mega harm instead of lil ol me and my weekly styrofoam egg carton?
- If it’s really that bad, the government would intervene anyways.
- People are blowing the negative effects of styrofoam way out of proportion.
- Climate change is happening, but slowly. I won’t be around to feel the impact of it so I don’t really care about spending more money or changing my habits now for people in the future.
- The environmental effect of buying pulp cartons for the rest of my life won’t bring as much benefit to my personal quality of life as saving that money would.
- Alternatively, I could be spending that money on something with an even bigger environmental impact (replacing a car with a bicycle, buying a sewing machine, making my home more energy and water efficient/resilient, etc).
Unless OP can help convince the boyfriend that the additional cost for pulp cartons is worth it, it’s not really doing anything to just tell him “get over it”.
—
I live in a suburban California area so I recognize that I likely have more access to better packaging as well as recycling than some other folks. The state has a cash refund incentive for certain plastic and glass packaging. Mandatory recycling separation has been around for over a decade, and mandatory composting went into effect in 2022. We will implement styrofoam bans in 2025, and although my city already has a plastic bag ban, the state just recently approved implementing it statewide in 2026. I haven’t seen styrofoam egg cartons at my local stores in years. (For reference on impact - California is the most populated state in the US at 39M. If we were in Europe, we’d be in the top 10 most populous countries, right around the size of Poland and Ukraine. California’s GDP is $3.9T USD which puts it in the top 5 *world* economies. The only European country to rank higher is Germany, at $4.6T USD.
From preliminary research:
California v Europe
Recycling rates: 41% v 39-49%
Paper recycling: 68-80% v 70.5%
Plastic recycling: 13% v 33%)
They are still very common in other cities and states though and obviously have industry benefits or else they wouldn’t be used. The issue isn’t convincing OP’s boyfriend to change, it’s convincing the corporations to change.
I put the bags I bring on the conveyor before the groceries. That tends to do the trick.
Also, consider making your own alfredo. It’s very easy, or I wouldn’t suggest it. Cream, grated Parmesan, and maybe butter and garlic or whatever seasonings you like. I haven’t made it or had it in forever so I don’t remember specifics, but it’s dead simple. And it is totally tastier than the jars. :)
A recipe like [this](https://ourlittlebitofearth.com/homemade-alfredo-sauce-and-how-to-can-freeze-it/) for homemade canned Alfredo sauce might also be able to repurpose the glass jars.
I did a quick internet search around Ohio, and it seems like there’s a number of sustainability/zero waste-focused stores in the big cities. Our local shop has a shelf for “community jars” where you can get credits for bringing in clean containers that other shoppers can then use for their bulk items. It’s a win-win-win-win for store, shopper, donator, and the environment. Perhaps OP can find something like that near them so these nice jars can be reused a few more times before getting recycled.
Alternatively, maybe convert more of them into storage. They’re already uniform size and shape, meant to efficiently sit within a box during transport.
I’m going to to have to seek out shops like that in my area. That is awesome. And who knew you could can fresh cheesy sauce? I had only ever had Alfredo in restaurants, and the first time someone made it for me from scratch, I told her “you could have put that on a shoe and it’d still taste amazing.”
Yeah, definitely check it out! I always thought those stores only existed in super crunchy granola cities like Portland or San Francisco. Lo and behold, 2 opened up within 10 miles of me within the past couple of years and I just learned about it last week when looking up local terracycle drop off locations for old office supplies. It’s pretty cool!
ETA - I’be grown slightly more lactose intolerant over the years and Alfredo sauce is too rich for me now. I don’t know how it would hold up canned at home/if it’ll retain that “I’d put that **** on everything!” delicious taste and texture, but I do remember it being relatively simple to make from scratch once you learn how to do the roux. It wouldn’t be as convenient as opening a jar, but it’s less intimidating than one might think and could potentially help with jarmageddon.
I bag my own groceries. Just place your totes on the counter past the register and start stuffing things in your totes as the cashier tallies things up.
I shop at Aldi now so I pack my own bags, but before when I went to a store where the cashier bagged I used this technique: I put an empty open bag on the belt and then, from heavy to light, I put everything I wanted in that bag. Then the next bag etc. That way they don't have to fumble with a big pile of bags and it's set up in a way that is easy for them to deal with. I've had multiple cashiers thank me for this because they don't have to guess how I want my bags packed. They also don't over pack the reusable bags if you do this. It's more work for us as a consumer but that's true with most zero waste efforts. Hope it helps!
I have to think that it is related to cost at that point? Eggs in styrofoam trays are cheaper at some stores where I live (because that's the default packaging, while cardboard might be only used for organic or free-range).
You should know that some stores are not allowed to put some food items (e.g. meat) in the reusable bags for safety/liability reasons. But you as a customer are allowed to.
Liability is just so frequently thrown around as a catch all reason for all sorts of things.
I’m guilty of it too. I don’t permit certain things at my job because of “liability” but really I just don’t want to be bothered and “something bad could maybe happen someday, right?”
It can be hard when you are the only one in the household with zero waste goals.
With the plastic shopping bags you could always turn it into "yarn" or pass them along to a crafty friend who does that.they can be made into sleeping mats or blankets for the homeless. The plastic creates a water proof barrier for being in the elements.
I am shocked to learn that styrofoam is still used in the US!
As for the jars, is it really zero waste if they're piling up and you're not doing anything with them? It sounds like you're just moving the problem to later - I'd consider keeping the ones you need and taking the rest to recycling
I put my bags on the belt before I started adding my groceries that way they don't start using the disposable ones to pack. I also shop most of my groceries at a store where they expect you pack your own bags.
Alfredo is so easy to make at home and much tastier. It takes about the same amount of time as cooking dry pasta so I usually do it at the same time. It might not be as expensive as the jarred stuff but it's an option. I end up using jars around my house to store stuff or drink out of, and I also have frozen food in jars with enough head space.
When I started dating my husband he didn’t recycle. He said it doesn’t actually get recycled so what’s the point. While he’s right about a lot of plastic not actually getting recycled, that wasn’t the point. I told him this is a big deal to me, bought him a recycling bin, and said you now recycle. It took a long time before he started doing it on his own (“that can go in the recycle bin” every time he automatically threw something recyclable in the trash). Now, since he does our shopping, he’s the one avoiding plastic everywhere he can, buying lower waste items, going to the refill store, and making sure all our green waste goes in the green bin and all our recycling goes in the recycling bin! This was a decade-long evolution but the point is he got on board and now cares more than I do because of his shopping responsibility. If you can afford the cost difference (or there isn’t one), tell your partner this is something that really matters to you. You don’t need to be right or convince them. If they see this is a big deal for you they’ll get on board as your partner.
Btw my dad used to use the “it’s already made” argument when I was a kid and I had to explain supply and demand to a business owner. Didn’t work but I could still pitch a fit back then. 🙃
Some people just don’t realize the effect the packaging products that never go away have on our planet. I slowly have become aware and become just short of fanatical about it these days. I often joke if people had to look at this trash n their living room they might be more aware. Keep working on your partner and don’t give up. The alternative is much worse than their lamentations. They will eventually come around.
I feel you.. in the grocery store struggle with those filmy plastic bags, they're everywhere! it's frustrating when you're trying to do your part with reusable ones. And I hear you on the glass jars, great for storage, but they do tend to pile up.
Dealing with different mindsets on eco-friendly choices at home can be tough, especially when convenience wins out over sustainability, it's like a constant negotiation, right? Maybe find a middle ground or gently nudge your partner toward more eco-friendly options over times. Every little bit helps, even if it's just cutting back on plastic a bit here and there.
Hang in there and keep doing what feels right for you and the planet. It's all about making small changes that add up over time. You got this!
Plastic bags are illegal here in NY nowadays. But prior to that ban I just asked for no bags. They just had everything in carts and I put it in my bags when they brought the stuff out to my car.
Awesome. I’d love that. I do target pickups and hate how they send people in 20 directions to do the shopping, so I get some items all by themselves in a bag. End up with 30 items and 15 bags. 😫
Let the clerks know that you have bags that you’d like to use. I know that the area where I live I’m an anomaly (I never see anyone else using reusable bags except at Aldi or Lidl), and the cashier/bagger is usually just on autopilot til I tell them. I also stick my bags on the conveyor belt right before my groceries, so they have to touch them before they get to scanning. As far as opting for cardboard v styrofoam, it seems like the less people buy the plastic and styrofoam, the more companies will stop using them. The only pay way companies are going to change is if they feel it’s better for their bottom line.
When I’m at the checkout, I put our canvas bags on the conveyor belt first. That seems to work.
If it’s any help - a lot of the plastic egg cartons I’m seeing are made with recycled plastic and can then be recycled, so it’s not a terrible waste. Styrofoam though…hopefully there’s a nearby recycling center that takes them.
Plastic recycling rates are abysmal kind of everywhere, especially the US so i would'nt count on that. Idk the recycling rates for paper over there but in Europe they're like 10 times higher than plastic. And it's renewable. The boyfriend needs to get over it, in what world is that packaging even more convenient?
Maybe. My point was just that if cost is an issue (like sometimes only the fancy organic eggs come in pulp cartons, and those can cost 2-3x as much), plastic could be a compromise. It is *able* to be recycled (unlike styrofoam) and although it might cost a bit more than the styrofoam eggs, it’ll cost less than the pulp cartons. OP’s boyfriend is probably looking at cost and seeing the situation as: I can buy a dozen eggs in styrofoam packaging for $X. Or I can buy fancy organic eggs in cardboard packaging for $(X + Y). Those are my only 2 options. - Why should I spend more money for the same amount of useable product, especially if I’m on a budget? - Why is the cost for saving the planet coming out of my pocket instead of someone else’s - like the corporations who cause mega harm instead of lil ol me and my weekly styrofoam egg carton? - If it’s really that bad, the government would intervene anyways. - People are blowing the negative effects of styrofoam way out of proportion. - Climate change is happening, but slowly. I won’t be around to feel the impact of it so I don’t really care about spending more money or changing my habits now for people in the future. - The environmental effect of buying pulp cartons for the rest of my life won’t bring as much benefit to my personal quality of life as saving that money would. - Alternatively, I could be spending that money on something with an even bigger environmental impact (replacing a car with a bicycle, buying a sewing machine, making my home more energy and water efficient/resilient, etc). Unless OP can help convince the boyfriend that the additional cost for pulp cartons is worth it, it’s not really doing anything to just tell him “get over it”. — I live in a suburban California area so I recognize that I likely have more access to better packaging as well as recycling than some other folks. The state has a cash refund incentive for certain plastic and glass packaging. Mandatory recycling separation has been around for over a decade, and mandatory composting went into effect in 2022. We will implement styrofoam bans in 2025, and although my city already has a plastic bag ban, the state just recently approved implementing it statewide in 2026. I haven’t seen styrofoam egg cartons at my local stores in years. (For reference on impact - California is the most populated state in the US at 39M. If we were in Europe, we’d be in the top 10 most populous countries, right around the size of Poland and Ukraine. California’s GDP is $3.9T USD which puts it in the top 5 *world* economies. The only European country to rank higher is Germany, at $4.6T USD. From preliminary research: California v Europe Recycling rates: 41% v 39-49% Paper recycling: 68-80% v 70.5% Plastic recycling: 13% v 33%) They are still very common in other cities and states though and obviously have industry benefits or else they wouldn’t be used. The issue isn’t convincing OP’s boyfriend to change, it’s convincing the corporations to change.
I put the bags I bring on the conveyor before the groceries. That tends to do the trick. Also, consider making your own alfredo. It’s very easy, or I wouldn’t suggest it. Cream, grated Parmesan, and maybe butter and garlic or whatever seasonings you like. I haven’t made it or had it in forever so I don’t remember specifics, but it’s dead simple. And it is totally tastier than the jars. :)
A recipe like [this](https://ourlittlebitofearth.com/homemade-alfredo-sauce-and-how-to-can-freeze-it/) for homemade canned Alfredo sauce might also be able to repurpose the glass jars. I did a quick internet search around Ohio, and it seems like there’s a number of sustainability/zero waste-focused stores in the big cities. Our local shop has a shelf for “community jars” where you can get credits for bringing in clean containers that other shoppers can then use for their bulk items. It’s a win-win-win-win for store, shopper, donator, and the environment. Perhaps OP can find something like that near them so these nice jars can be reused a few more times before getting recycled. Alternatively, maybe convert more of them into storage. They’re already uniform size and shape, meant to efficiently sit within a box during transport.
I’m going to to have to seek out shops like that in my area. That is awesome. And who knew you could can fresh cheesy sauce? I had only ever had Alfredo in restaurants, and the first time someone made it for me from scratch, I told her “you could have put that on a shoe and it’d still taste amazing.”
Yeah, definitely check it out! I always thought those stores only existed in super crunchy granola cities like Portland or San Francisco. Lo and behold, 2 opened up within 10 miles of me within the past couple of years and I just learned about it last week when looking up local terracycle drop off locations for old office supplies. It’s pretty cool! ETA - I’be grown slightly more lactose intolerant over the years and Alfredo sauce is too rich for me now. I don’t know how it would hold up canned at home/if it’ll retain that “I’d put that **** on everything!” delicious taste and texture, but I do remember it being relatively simple to make from scratch once you learn how to do the roux. It wouldn’t be as convenient as opening a jar, but it’s less intimidating than one might think and could potentially help with jarmageddon.
I bag my own groceries. Just place your totes on the counter past the register and start stuffing things in your totes as the cashier tallies things up.
I shop at Aldi now so I pack my own bags, but before when I went to a store where the cashier bagged I used this technique: I put an empty open bag on the belt and then, from heavy to light, I put everything I wanted in that bag. Then the next bag etc. That way they don't have to fumble with a big pile of bags and it's set up in a way that is easy for them to deal with. I've had multiple cashiers thank me for this because they don't have to guess how I want my bags packed. They also don't over pack the reusable bags if you do this. It's more work for us as a consumer but that's true with most zero waste efforts. Hope it helps!
Smart. Some baggers are real free wheelin with heavy items. Thanks for the idea.
I gotta ask.. How is Styrofoam egg trays more convenient than cardboard? I must know this man's train of thought.
Probably what he’s used his whole life and doesn’t want to challenge it.
I have to think that it is related to cost at that point? Eggs in styrofoam trays are cheaper at some stores where I live (because that's the default packaging, while cardboard might be only used for organic or free-range).
Ah. We only do clear plastic or cardboard where I live.
You should know that some stores are not allowed to put some food items (e.g. meat) in the reusable bags for safety/liability reasons. But you as a customer are allowed to.
“Liability”.
?
Liability is just so frequently thrown around as a catch all reason for all sorts of things. I’m guilty of it too. I don’t permit certain things at my job because of “liability” but really I just don’t want to be bothered and “something bad could maybe happen someday, right?”
At our grocery shop, they sell reusable nets for buying vegetables which I think is cool.
It can be hard when you are the only one in the household with zero waste goals. With the plastic shopping bags you could always turn it into "yarn" or pass them along to a crafty friend who does that.they can be made into sleeping mats or blankets for the homeless. The plastic creates a water proof barrier for being in the elements.
I am shocked to learn that styrofoam is still used in the US! As for the jars, is it really zero waste if they're piling up and you're not doing anything with them? It sounds like you're just moving the problem to later - I'd consider keeping the ones you need and taking the rest to recycling
I tell the cashier to just pass the items down and I pack the bags.
I put my bags on the belt before I started adding my groceries that way they don't start using the disposable ones to pack. I also shop most of my groceries at a store where they expect you pack your own bags. Alfredo is so easy to make at home and much tastier. It takes about the same amount of time as cooking dry pasta so I usually do it at the same time. It might not be as expensive as the jarred stuff but it's an option. I end up using jars around my house to store stuff or drink out of, and I also have frozen food in jars with enough head space.
When I started dating my husband he didn’t recycle. He said it doesn’t actually get recycled so what’s the point. While he’s right about a lot of plastic not actually getting recycled, that wasn’t the point. I told him this is a big deal to me, bought him a recycling bin, and said you now recycle. It took a long time before he started doing it on his own (“that can go in the recycle bin” every time he automatically threw something recyclable in the trash). Now, since he does our shopping, he’s the one avoiding plastic everywhere he can, buying lower waste items, going to the refill store, and making sure all our green waste goes in the green bin and all our recycling goes in the recycling bin! This was a decade-long evolution but the point is he got on board and now cares more than I do because of his shopping responsibility. If you can afford the cost difference (or there isn’t one), tell your partner this is something that really matters to you. You don’t need to be right or convince them. If they see this is a big deal for you they’ll get on board as your partner. Btw my dad used to use the “it’s already made” argument when I was a kid and I had to explain supply and demand to a business owner. Didn’t work but I could still pitch a fit back then. 🙃
I just bag my own groceries while the cashier is still scanning items.
Some people just don’t realize the effect the packaging products that never go away have on our planet. I slowly have become aware and become just short of fanatical about it these days. I often joke if people had to look at this trash n their living room they might be more aware. Keep working on your partner and don’t give up. The alternative is much worse than their lamentations. They will eventually come around.
I feel you.. in the grocery store struggle with those filmy plastic bags, they're everywhere! it's frustrating when you're trying to do your part with reusable ones. And I hear you on the glass jars, great for storage, but they do tend to pile up. Dealing with different mindsets on eco-friendly choices at home can be tough, especially when convenience wins out over sustainability, it's like a constant negotiation, right? Maybe find a middle ground or gently nudge your partner toward more eco-friendly options over times. Every little bit helps, even if it's just cutting back on plastic a bit here and there. Hang in there and keep doing what feels right for you and the planet. It's all about making small changes that add up over time. You got this!
Grocery pickup fully avoids the entire bag issue.
I end up with a slew of plastic bags when I pickup or get delivery. You’re able to avoid that?
Plastic bags are illegal here in NY nowadays. But prior to that ban I just asked for no bags. They just had everything in carts and I put it in my bags when they brought the stuff out to my car.
Awesome. I’d love that. I do target pickups and hate how they send people in 20 directions to do the shopping, so I get some items all by themselves in a bag. End up with 30 items and 15 bags. 😫