A trip to the local co-op

Markus and I decided to venture to the local Linden Hills co-op to see if there were larger selections of products in recyclable or sustainable packaging.  Overall, I was impressed with the selection, specifically in the personal care aisles (shampoo, lotion, body wash, etc).  Every bottle I picked up was a recyclable plastic, marked 1 or 2.

I was also impressed with the amount of spices, herbs, and coffee you could buy in bulk and put into your own personal glass container.  Very green!

However, the prices were overall higher, and I didn't solve the problems we found at Target with recyclable packaging on meat, cheese or bread.  They did have a meat counter, which made it possible to buy meat wrapped in paper vs plastic packaging, but all pre-packaged meat was in the same containers we  saw at Target this morning.

Decisions made after co-op shopping trip:
1.  For personal care items, find the item you like by purchasing at local co-op with wide selection.  Then, find mass retailer that carries the same product at a lower price.
2.  For spices and coffee, buy whole beans and in bulk at the co-op.  It can go directly into recyclable packaging, and is actually cheaper buying in the quantities you need vs a full jar of spice that takes years to use.
3.  For cheese, buy from behind a deli counter in bulk.  Request specific packaging.  Use cheese grater to shred cheese yourself.
4.  For meat, always buy from behind a meat counter.  Request all purchased be wrapped in paper instead of plastic.  You can, of course, find the store that sells from behind the meat counter at the cheapest price.
5.  Bake your own bread or purchase loaves fresh from a bakery.  There is no other way to get around cheap plastic packaging for a loaf of sandwhich bread.

How will I execute these decisions?
1.  As soon as I run out of existing product (I stocked up a few weeks ago, so this won't happen for some time), test small bottles of various products from the Linden Hills co-op.  Decide on a favorite.
2.  After I run out of my current coffee and spices:
 -->  Coffee will be purchased as whole beans and ground at home from the local co-op, Whole Foods or Lunds/Byerly's
 -->  Common spices will be grown at home (e.g. basil, cilantro)
 -->  I will buy all other spices, salts, etc in bulk at Linden Hills co-op
3.  Cheese can be bought from the Target deli counter.  Need to purchase a cheese grater.
4.  Meat will be purchased at a co-op or local grocery store from here on out.  Target generally does not have behind the counter options.
5.  This will take a little longer.  The temporary solution is to go to local Rustica Bread Co. and buy fresh loaves.  Long term, we would like to own a bread machine and make our own bread (the cheaper option).

What does the future hold?
Herb garden
Vegetable garden
Compost
Disintegrating trash bags
Bread machine
Whole coffee beans
Glass containers to hold spices & coffee