“Anyone for a dried banana? Honestly, they’re delicious.”

“Dave? Banana? Really, they’re better than they look…”

Yet for some reason my generous offers are always turned down. When I say ‘some reason’ it’s really only one reason: the whole dried bananas I keep in my desk drawer are bizarre looking things. They’re a disturbing yellow-brown colour with an unpleasant resemblance to dead worms – yet they’re my favourite snack food. Sweet and sustaining, they’re great if you’re on the go, with the added bonus that you can only buy them in bulk.

Buying in bulk is an easy way to cut out packaging waste and has really come of age. These days, outlets like Bin Inn even let you use your own containers – from bags to jars to pottles – which are then weighed, with the weight being deducted from the price. That goes for traditional bulk items such as dried fruit (honestly, do try a banana, Dave) and for less conventional products such as powdered detergents and liquid cleaners, too.

At Green Ideas, we’re so impressed by the power of bulk buying that we’ve made it our next Small Steps challenge – and that’s where you come into the picture. Every issue on the Small Steps page we share the small but important things our readers do to take care of the planet – and this issue we’d like to hear about your experiences of bulk buying.

If you’d like to take part in the challenge, it’s really easy. Just email me at [email protected] with your tale of buying in bulk, and send in a photo, too (of your smiling face – or even just the shopping!) which we can print in the magazine. 

And okay, I know what you’re probably thinking right now – you’d feel a bit shy bragging about your shopping habits in print, right? Fair enough, but what I’m thinking is what a great message all those smiling faces in our magazine will send about the positive power of consumer choice. So go on – be brave – head to the store, take a snap, and email us your story. The planet will thank you for it – even if your workmates don’t.

Greg Roughan
 Editor, Green Ideas magazine

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