Buying food in bulk means buying food products that are not packaged and self-service, which in particular allows you to choose exactly the desired quantity. The sale of bulk food is offered in many food stores today. Buying food in bulk requires bringing your own containers (glass jars, fabric bags, airtight boxes, etc.) or using the most often reusable bags available in these stores to bring your shopping home. Buying your food in bulk has many advantages, for the protection of the environment, in terms of saving money, among others. Here are the 4 main advantages of this type of purchase.
The accumulation of various and varied waste contributes to polluting the planet. As indicated by the Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe), 20% of household waste consists of packaging, i.e. around 5 million tonnes per year, of which around 30% cannot not be recycled, including plastic ones. A major problem in terms of pollution, impact on biodiversity, one of the causes of global warming.
This is why buying food in bulk, that is to say sold without packaging, contributes to the protection of the environment. By eliminating unnecessary packaging, very often made of non-recyclable plastic and some of which end up in the oceans, this type of purchase is therefore good for the planet.
Buying your food in bulk is part of the zero waste strategy which aims to considerably reduce your waste. By reducing their quantity, it is no longer necessary to treat and recycle them when possible, procedures which represent very significant costs for the community and each citizen in the end.
Selling food in bulk also requires less handling for its manufacture and packaging, as well as less packaging for its transport, steps that consume a lot of energy and contribute to increasing greenhouse gas emissions. .
In addition to eliminating unnecessary packaging, buying food in bulk allows consumers to buy only the quantities they really need and thus avoids the waste that is very present in our consumer societies.
The bulk sale sector is on the rise in France. As indicated by Ademe, from 100 million euros excluding tax in turnover in 2013, this sector rose to 1.2 billion euros in 2019. The variety of foods sold in bulk today is very large. This type of bulk food sale ranges from pulses, flour, chocolate, vinegar, oils, coffee, beverages, fresh vegetables, fruits, milk, etc.
However, only certain types of food cannot be sold in bulk:products which have a label, such as the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), which are packaged on their Place of manufacture. For conservation reasons, frozen foods cannot be sold in bulk either.
There are also now foods to buy in bulk in markets and in many stores such as supermarkets, grocery stores, organic stores, or even shops specializing in this type of sale, which will be more than 500 in 2022 in France.
Buying your food in bulk, which therefore allows you to control the quantity you buy, also gives you the opportunity, for example, to try a product without having to buy a large volume which risks being lost and wasted in the end.
Most often, even if it is advisable to carefully monitor their weight per kilo since this type of sale is carried out in this way, bulk foods are sold at a lower price because their price does not include, in particular, that of their packaging and all the labor required for this.
A price difference, in particular with regard to organic foods very present in the bulk sale sector, which can range from 10% to 45% less than conventional products as indicated by Public Health France, the national public health agency. For more conventional products sold in bulk, the price difference is a little less.
Most of the foods that can be bought in bulk are, on the one hand, healthy foods and, on the other hand, foods that can be kept for a long time, which avoids throwing them away and thus greatly limits the food waste that is expensive for consumers' wallets.
This is the case, for example, with wholegrain starches (pasta, rice, semolina, etc.), pulses (lentils, chickpeas, beans, broad beans), unsalted nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, or even pistachios), oat flakes, etc., whose regular consumption is recommended to maintain good health.
As with all other food products, it is also possible to access information on foods sold in bulk. Each one has a label that mentions their name, their origin, their composition, and in particular whether or not they contain allergens. The consumer is thus able to choose quality foods that are good for their health.
Good to know:to properly preserve the quality of food purchased in bulk, it is advisable, once stored at home, to put them in suitable containers, i.e. ones that protect them from heat, humidity and light.
Be careful, however, vigilance is also required when buying food in bulk. Some of them may also be more or less good for the health because they are too fatty or too sweet, for example, such as certain cereals sold in bulk for breakfast, too salty appetizer biscuits, etc.
