Going zero waste but still eat meat?

Heather Merry
Nov 1 · 3 min read

Don’t beat yourself up and do your best every time.

Meat is a problem when you examine your waste. I know we should all reduce consumption of it for the planet, period. Our family has always had several vegetarian meals each week, but we still eat meat and fish. And for someone striving for zero waste, buying meat is hard just logistically.

Ok, ok, you could just skip it. I’d be ok with that personally, but I’m not going to advocate strict veganism – though that’s very healthy for the planet and humans – because I have two teenagers who play sports and are still growing. I know that many vegans out there would propose I can create a balanced diet for them (yes, I know and good on you if you do!), but my kids still want meat sometimes.

But back to reducing waste on a small scale, in a household that does eat meat.

The zero waste way to buy meat and poultry, of course, is to bring your own clean container and have your butcher or grocery meat counter tare the container and only charge you for your meat.

The butcher shop is most likely to be helpful, but feeding big kids can get expensive. For now, I want to avoid all the plastic at the grocery store. I’m striving for best, but I need other options. Progress, not perfection.

Here’s what I’ve found as better options, though I appreciate they’re still not the best:

You can try another store or bring your containers as you build them up in time. Options will improve in time as grocers are more amenable to our needs. The more people ask, the more they’ll get the message.

Remember, anything you are doing more thoughtfully than you were before is a win. This is a journey.

The point is to do what’s manageable for you now and move forward from there.

Does anyone have other tips for those who enjoy meats but want to make better low-waste choices?

No Time to Waste

Confessions + lessons on our journey towards zero waste

Heather Merry

Written by

Strategic communication pro by day. Studying work, life, diversity and the definition of success. Newbie at targeting zero waste but determined to reduce mine.

No Time to Waste

Confessions + lessons on our journey towards zero waste

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