A shopper can save an average of 89% by purchasing natural and organic foods in the bulk foods aisle of a grocery store, according to a new study by the Portland State University's Food Industry Leadership Center (FILC). Most of the savings comes from less packaging, which saves resources, cuts down on fuel costs, and reduces waste in landfills.  

Bulk for thought: chief among the environmental advantages of buying in bulk is reducing the amount of product packaging going into landfills. According to this study, if coffee-drinking Americans purchased all of their coffee in bulk for one year, nearly 240 million pounds of foil packaging would be saved from entering a landfill. If Americans purchased all their almonds in bulk for one year, 72 million pounds of waste would be saved from a landfill. Buying in large quantities allows you to keep ingredients you use regularly on hand, cutting down on trips to the store for supplies and potentially lowering your gasoline consumption. Consider visiting any of our local grocery stores to find bulk products and cut back on waste!