Darwin is blessed with many local markets which offer a great variety of veggies and food. Unfortunately, many of these markets also produce a lot of waste.
But don’t worry, you can do your bit to help reduce waste and keep Darwin clean!
Here are 5 essentials for your market trips.
1. Market Bag
Most households already have reusable shopping bags lying around. But if you don’t have a bag and need to buy one, opt for natural fibres such as cotton or hessian.
Tip: Put your market bag in your car or next to your bike, so it’s handy when you need it.
2. Reusable containers
When Waste Free NT volunteers conducted a waste audit at one of Darwin's local markets, we counted 1100 plastic food containers, all of which were destined for landfill and this was only ONE day's worth of plastic containers!!
It’s needless to say that reusable containers are a must-have in your market bag. Have a look in your kitchen cupboard or camping kit and use what you've already got.
If you don’t have suitable containers yet, heck out some op shops in and around Darwin.
3. Produce bags
There are a number of options to choose from, including Onya reusable produce bags or make your own reusable cloth bags from fabrics such as old bedding and a shoe lace.
Keep fruit and veggies fresh by storing them in airtight containers in your fridge or use The Swag.
4. Reusable Cup
Don’t we all love a smoothy or coffee to kick off the weekend? And you can enjoy these beverages guilt free by using a reusable cup. Stall holders are generally happy to fill them up for you.
Have a look through your cupboard to see if you have any suitable cups/tumblers/glass jars and if not check out op shops or local shops with sustainable options, such as metal cups.
5. Cutlery & Straws
Plastic cutlery and straws are top environmental polluters because they can't be not recycled, meaning they end up in landfill (or in waterways), where it is estimated they remain for at least the next 1000 years.
But don‘t worry, simply grab some stainless steel cutlery from your kitchen or look into lightweight and reusable bamboo cutlery sets which come in handy pouches (or making your own pouch can be another diy project). And don‘t forget to add a bamboo, metal or glass straw so you can sip your smoothy.
We hope these tips help you to kit out your own market bag, so you can enjoy many more sustainable market visits.
Words by: Sylvia Streichhan