Refilling a bottle instead of throwing it away has become a popular way for people to reduce waste — a small, tangible action in response to larger environmental problems.
For certain food styles, I buy bulk spices sometimes because I don’t like to pay for an entire jar I won’t use, knowing that most of it will go stale by the time I’m through the jar. Being able to buy tiny quantities is sometimes way cheaper.
I’m also mismatched in my conditioner and shampoo remaining where I can buy the matching set and let the difference persist, or I can try to buy a single catch-up bottle of whatever I have excess of, to hope that they even out by the time I get to the bottom of a bottle.
Basically, I can imagine where it might be preferable (for both cost and convenience) to buy an arbitrary amount of something rather than buy a fixed factory container of that thing. I know I already do it for certain things.
For certain food styles, I buy bulk spices sometimes because I don’t like to pay for an entire jar I won’t use, knowing that most of it will go stale by the time I’m through the jar. Being able to buy tiny quantities is sometimes way cheaper.
Have you considered sharing with friends/family who would use the same spices or other supplies? I sometimes do this with spices, legumes, baking soda, etc.
That keeps the spices from going to waste, but unless there’s a cultural shift in which we’re all sharing leftovers like that, it doesn’t address the price argument. They’re still paying more overall because they’re overbuying.
Yes, I also receive goodies shared by friends/family too. Could be stuff we’ve bought in bulk, or stuff we’ve made (soap, jam, crocheted blankets…) or grown in the garden.
It might be cheaper in some settings.
For certain food styles, I buy bulk spices sometimes because I don’t like to pay for an entire jar I won’t use, knowing that most of it will go stale by the time I’m through the jar. Being able to buy tiny quantities is sometimes way cheaper.
I’m also mismatched in my conditioner and shampoo remaining where I can buy the matching set and let the difference persist, or I can try to buy a single catch-up bottle of whatever I have excess of, to hope that they even out by the time I get to the bottom of a bottle.
Basically, I can imagine where it might be preferable (for both cost and convenience) to buy an arbitrary amount of something rather than buy a fixed factory container of that thing. I know I already do it for certain things.
Have you considered sharing with friends/family who would use the same spices or other supplies? I sometimes do this with spices, legumes, baking soda, etc.
That keeps the spices from going to waste, but unless there’s a cultural shift in which we’re all sharing leftovers like that, it doesn’t address the price argument. They’re still paying more overall because they’re overbuying.
Yes, I also receive goodies shared by friends/family too. Could be stuff we’ve bought in bulk, or stuff we’ve made (soap, jam, crocheted blankets…) or grown in the garden.