TIP OF THE DAY: Save Money With Organic Bulk Foods
 Buy nuts in bulk for daily healthful snacking and recipe ingredients. Photo courtesy The Almond Board. |
April is Earth Month; April 22 is Earth Day. You can make every day Earth Day and do something sustainable.
Research findings show compelling reasons for shoppers to buy in bulk (from the bulk bins at the grocery store). If you don’t buy organic because of the higher price, you can save an average of 89%* by purchasing natural and organic foods in the bulk foods aisle of the grocery store (we get ours at Whole Foods Market). What can you buy in organic bulk? |
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Bulk doesn’t mean “jumbo amount”: You scoop what you need from the bin into a bag, and pay by weight. When you get the food home, you can transfer it into a canister or other storage container. *The study was conducted by the Portland State University’s Food Industry Leadership Center (FILC) on behalf of The Bulk is Green Council (BIG). Conducted in the fall of 2011, researchers studied three main areas: cost comparisons (to packaged counterparts), environmental impact and consumer attitudes toward buying in bulk. To arrive at the overall average cost savings of 89%, researchers made cost comparisons between organic bulk foods and organic packaged foods in a number of key categories, including coffee and tea, nut butters, flour and grains, dried fruit, spices, beans, pasta and confections. The percentage of savings when buying in bulk differed from category to category, but averaging the savings across all categories resulted in an average of 89% lower costs. For more information, visit BulkIsGreen.org. |
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In addition to lower costs and the general benefits of organic food (pesticide-free, GMO-free food, sustainably grown), there is a big environmental advantage to buying in bulk: reducing the amount of product packaging that goes into landfills. According to the findings, for example:
To help celebrate Earth Month, the Bulk is Green Council (BIG) invites eco-conscious consumers to take the pledge to “Love Bulk Foods,” for the chance to win a gift basket filled with everything needed to help create a natural and organic pantry filled with eco-friendly bulk foods. |
 Do you blow through boxes of cereal? Look at the options in the bulk foods aisle. Photo courtesy Grape Nuts. |
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Just head to the Love Bulk Foods pledge page on and sign a digital pledge to purchase bulk foods once a week during Earth Month. Pledgers automatically will be entered in a weekly drawing for a gift basket. Don’t you feel good already? It’s a good teaching moment for the kids. |
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