Guide to Re-Use!

At Greens & Grains, we take our responsibility to the environment seriously. We believe that one of the most pressing challenges we face today is the problem of waste and plastic packaging. Shockingly, it's estimated that 2 million plastic bags are used every minute worldwide.

That's why we're committed to doing our part to minimize our negative impact on the local landscape. We encourage our customers to join us in this effort by bringing their own bags and containers to refill with items purchased in our shop. By reducing the amount of plastic waste we generate, we can help to create a more sustainable future for all.

But we don't stop there. We also welcome donations of items that would otherwise be discarded, giving them a second life and keeping them out of the landfill. So, next time you shop with us, remember to bring your own bags and containers, also see below a list of items that we accept for re-use. Together, we can make a difference and protect our planet for generations to come.

Help reduce waste in Zambia - Re-Use!

We accept the following items for re-use:

All size egg trays

All size glass jars

with lids

500 &1000ml plastic yoghurt containers with lids

330ml disposable beer bottles

10l water containers with lids

2l milk bottles with lids

1.5l olive oil bottles

All size plastic fruit containers

No polystyrene trays or packaging!

"Polystyrene is NOT biodegradable and when deprived of oxygen, light and water in covered landfills it can take at least 500 years to decompose naturally. Some scientists believe it could even take one million years to biodegrade completely.

Discarded polystyrene products tend to crumble into small pieces which also float easily, clogging rivers and oceans and causing problems for animals and marine life that may accidentally swallow them." Is Polystyrene Recyclable? - Naturaler May 2022

Therefore, we DO NOT accept for reuse any polystyrene packaging and we strongly encourage you to avoid purchasing any types of containers made of polystyrene type of material.

How Much Disposable Plastic Do We Use?

An estimated 583 billion plastic bottles were produced in 2021. That is 100 billion more than were produced just five years ago.[1]
This year, five trillion plastic bags will be used. That’s 160,000 every second![2]
Americans alone use half a billion drinking straws every day.[3]
In 2017, packaging production constituted the highest-demanded use for plastic, with 146 million metric tons used.[4]
The amount of single-use plastics used globally has tripled since the start of the pandemic, with takeout orders driving the increase.[5]
Each year, enough Bubble Wrap is created globally to cover the distance between the earth and the moon.[6]
In the U.S., we throw away more than 50 billion coffee cups every year. These are coated with plastic to laminate the inside and use plastic lids.[7]
Around the world, people litter more than 4.5 trillion cigarette butts every year.[8]

Learn more about plastic pollution by visiting the www.earthday.org

Fact Sheet: How Much Disposable Plastic We Use - Earth Day Retrieved May 2022

Thank you for your support!

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