Bulk is Better

A good way to store your bulk foods. Photo courtesy: mrsdkrebs/CC BY 2.0

Once relegated to the dusty corner of the health food store, the bulk food aisle has bloomed into a viable section of many mainstream supermarkets. Bulk food has grown up! And with good reason. Buying food in bulk significantly reduces the amount of direct packaging going into landfills. And the ability to purchase from bulk bins in smaller amounts cuts down on food waste. It’s the antithesis to big box stores.

Bulk goods require less overall transportation for delivery to consumers. There is much less packaging that needs to be produced and transported prior to being filled. And the transportation of bulk foods to markets is more efficient because it can be packed so densely on a truck.

And now, the results of a recent study may elevate bulk foods to an even more popular status: Organic bulk foods on average are 89 percent less expensive than their organic packaged counterparts, according to research results from the Portland State University’s Food Industry Leadership Center (FILC). That is just all kinds of awesome.

To celebrate, the Bulk is Green Council (BIG), a national non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the economical and environmental benefits of buying natural and organic foods in bulk, is partnering with markets across the United States with the annual Bulk Foods Week which will occur at grocery stores nationwide on October 14-20, 2012.

Retailers participating in National Bulk Foods Week will be offering specials and discounts on select bulk food items, as if we needed more incentive. Find participating grocery stores near you at the BIG website.