Meat, fish and deli items all come packaged in some sort of plastic. This can include a plastic tray, too much cling wrap, plastic pots, bags or shrink wrap. Some of these items can be recycled in some parts of the country but a lot of it is single use and is thrown away.
What Can I Do??
If you are a supermarket shopper, instead of choosing pre-packaged meat, fish or deli goods, head to the in-store counters. BYO food containers is now ‘a thing’. Most supermarkets with deli counters and in store butcheries should all be happy to accept your containers.
Independent butchers, fish mongers, meat and cheese shops are usually very happy for you to bring your own containers too. Our local butcher positively encourages it and if you forget them, he can use old school butchers paper to wrap your meat for you.
Some supermarkets also offer a paper wrapping service but this is only suitable for certain items. I have used it for ham before but this would not be a good idea for fish or a pasta salad for example….!!!
Go the Extra Mile
Support local businesses that promote BYO containers. Hannah and Liam from The Rubbish Trip have put together a fantastic resource. You can search by region for stores that are BYO friendly!! Have a look at their Regional Zero Waste Shopping Guide and share with anyone who might find it useful.
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