Top products from r/ZeroWaste

First, I would love to say that I am very impressed. You have made great progress! The amount of making from scratch and DIY-ing is incredible!

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I would like to give a different perspective and some logistics of ZW.

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It is important to note that the term zero waste wasn’t supposed to be referred to as a lifestyle, it was meant as a structure for businesses. It is also important to note that we don’t live in a circular economy, we live in a linear economy; so there isn’t a way to create absolutely zero waste. https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeroWaste/comments/bsxixk/aim_for_a_circular_economy/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app

Zero waste is about finding ways to reduce your waste and be mindful of your choices and impact on the world. :) This includes the brands and companies you support such as amazon or lush cosmetics. Greenwashing is also something that is important to watch out for! The concepts of Refusing, Reducing, Reusing, Recycling and Rotting in that order help achieve a low-waste lifestyle. 

Starting Kit and concept of the term “zero waste” not possible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD9KKUjwzdk&t=330s

Low-waste journey mistakes and zero waste concepts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R48k1W3QGVs

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In Bea Johnson’s book, Zero Waste Home she talks about her first few experiences with DIY things. She started taking up making butter, cheese, etc. She explained that she took zero waste too far, in that all of her DIY activities were very restrictive and time consuming. It gave less time to spend going biking, spending time with family, etc. 

Living in this way can be unsustainable, in the sense that some will most likely stop being zero waste because they associate it with so much work and time commitments. People are more likely to stick to zero waste if it is more convenient. Try finding a deli counter that allows you to bring your own container, buy cheese or meat there. Find a bakery that allows you to slip your fresh bread into a cloth pillowcase instead of a plastic bag. Buy yogurt in a larger container and spoon out smaller portions into storage containers for lunches. Etc, etc, etc. 

What I am trying to say is, it is possible to cut out the more extremes without letting go of the zero waste lifestyle. Everyone is on a life journey that should be exciting, rewarding, fun and fulfilling! Take time to figure out what you want from life and allow zero waste to intertwine with your life, not take it over. :)

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Some other grocery-related links:

Food waste:

https://www.wastewiseproductsinc.com/blog/food-waste/food-waste-an-economic-and-environmental-problem/

Reduce food waste https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uRTimUpNr0 - Sustainably Vegan

Homemade broth: https://www.reddit.com/r/soup/comments/bwxpit/homemade_broth_has_so_many_advantages_reduce_food/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x

Try downloading an app that suggests meals based on what you have in your kitchen like this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeroWaste/comments/c8s6yl/i_found_an_app_called_plant_jammer_where_you_can/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app

Yoplait Glass yogurt: https://www.wideopeneats.com/general-mills-fresh-yoplait-yogurt-design-is-a-new-path-for-the-brand/

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Here are some bulk-store locators:

https://zerowastehome.com/2013/04/16/our-bulk-locator-app-is-ou/

https://www.litterless.com/wheretoshop

https://zerowastenerd.com/us-bulk-locations/

Shopping without access to bulk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4lqZJ-oZBM - Shelbizleee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaPX2ZtPBjI - Sustainably Vegan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oO0eHutLjw - Sedona Christina

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Pick your own farms: https://www.pickyourown.org

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The 5 R’s are the best way to navigate a low-waste journey: https://zerowastehome.com/2011/09/28/how-to-get-started/

In case you are looking for more, I’ll link a few YouTube channels that have good zero waste information :) 

Shelbizzlee: *highly recommend* https://m.youtube.com/user/Shelbizleee

Sustainably Vegan: *highly recommend* https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkq2gEWE-i647M71bh7zDxA

Sedona Christina:  https://www.youtube.com/user/720tanner

Blue Ollis: https://m.youtube.com/user/SophsChoices

Eco Boost: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3pE1IqHqbdf3vqtaALL4nA

*Note: You don’t have to agree with all the influencer’s values and opinions to watch or support their channel. There is a lot of good content to be found on these channels! :)

It's worthwhile to educate yourself on different styles and alternative concepts to find the right compromise for your lifestyle. You'll probably find a solution for one person that is an impossibility for another; keep that in mind as you travel on your journey!

r/upcycling is also a nice sub for repurposing things.

r/minimalism is a good sub and topic for assessing your belongings and future purchases. 

/r/EthicalFashion offers resources on sustainable-wearing materials and ethical textile production that can help you make informed decisions about the items your purchase and wear. There's also information about sustainable care and cleaning of different fabrics.

Books:

Try checking books about reducing waste. Sustainable Home is good for beginners. Zero waste home, by Bea Johnson is amazing book!

The Hands-On Home is less zero waste and more seasonality and sustainability focused, which is divided into seasons and has recipes for cooking, preserving and home cleaning during each of those seasons. The author is based in the Pacific Northwest.

The wiki in the sidebar is a great starting place, and if you're on mobile, check the pinned post at the top of the subreddit to get there!

I've been checking out a ton of books from my library about reducing waste, and I'd say Sustainable Home has been my favorite so far for beginners. I think it covers the breadth of the home and gives a lot of ideas, though this is going off of my checking that book out a couple months ago. I guess I would call myself "intermediate" zero waste, so most of the suggestions were things I'd already done, but the book also had some good ideas for me and was a nice reminder of the things I've already accomplished in changing.

My other favorite, which is less zero waste and more just seasonality and sustainability focused, is The Hands-On Home, which is divided into seasons and has recipes for cooking, preserving and home cleaning during each of those seasons. The author is based in the Pacific Northwest like I am, so I really like that her kind of "seasonal" is the same as mine since that does vary by location of course. I've been making her laundry soap recipe since 2017 and not only has it not let me down yet, it costs me maybe 2 or 3 cents to run a load, which is absolutely mind boggling to me. (Note though that I don't have hard water where I live, so I know that it wouldn't work for everyone!) Also, her recipe for a grime cutting cleaner works very well even on my stove (I cook a lot so it gets gnarly), which was a very welcome surprise. As I mentioned, the book itself isn't exactly about zero waste, but it does have recipes for cleaning supplies that keep me from having to buy spray bottles which is awesome!

The gf and I had a similar discussion when we got ours, so we just bought a few to start and now we use them so much that we are going to pick up some more. We love them. You can use them pretty much anywhere you can use a ziploc/plastic bag, but these will last so much longer. And they're dishwasher safe, so we just throw them in there across a few tines and they come out like new. We got ours locally, but if you can't find them, Amazon has the best price on them that I've seen. Good luck!

I'm in a similar spot as you - trying to reduce my waste within the constraints of being a uni student. One of the first changes I made was buying these. You could make produce bags yourself if you're crafty, but I'm not and didn't have time to figure out how to do it. Also, relying on freezer bags is a lot harder if you just don't have them in the house. We stopped buying them, and although tupperware does take up more space in the fridge, I think it's worth it. You also save money that would have gone towards freezer bags.

For cheap cleaning rags I just cut up old clothes/sheets that are at the end of their life, and keep them in a bucket under the sink. It's easy to just grab those instead of paper towel for spills/wiping the table/counter tops/cleaning the bathroom, etc. We throw them in the wash when we have a lot of dirty ones. For napkins, I went to a local thrift shop and bought a bunch of plain cloth napkins. They're nothing fancy so I really don't mind them getting dirty (although they always come clean in the wash).

As for bathroom supplies, you can find relatively cheap shampoo bars, and I've found that they last me much longer than bottled shampoo. I get mine from Lush, but you can definitely get cheaper - I'd recommend checking Etsy for some homemade options.

I'm still working on bathroom products, especially face wash and moisturizer, but I know there are a lot of diy tutorials online. Good luck! I've learned that even baby steps are important steps :)

LOVE THIS.

So at my house we have an assortment of like grocery bags, they're all sizes and materials. Just whatever's been acquired over the years. I do prefer the ones with a more structured box shape for groceries and keep the foldable ones for my purse/backpack/car for unplanned shopping or non-grocery shopping.

For produce, we use either net or mesh bags. I prefer the bigger net type bags usually. Sometimes for more leafy-fragile items I prefer the mesh ones. But everything is machine washable, so stains aren't a worry!

For items such as beans, chocolate chips, basically medium sized, dry items (rice is too small), I like to use cotton bags. Then I don't have to worry about the Tare and they're generally easy to fill up from those dispenser things. For the BIN # of these ones, I just write it down in my phone usually, I've heard you can use pencil right on the cotton though!

For items that would either get stuck in the seams of those bags or are dirtier or almond butter, I use glass jars. My grocery store is nice and I just had to weigh my jars once, they wrote it with Sharpie and I've just kept rewriting that weight whenever it washes off. Then I bring a chalk marker (I've had some laying around from crafting), and write the BIN on the top. It's nice cause my chalk markers are white and the sharpie is black so at the register I just tell the cashier, the tare's in black and bin's in white!

I also have a funnel for the glass jars that have a smaller mouth because I've made a mess in the aisle one too many times.

If I'm not bringing more than 1-2 glass jars, I can keep all of these items in a small grocery bag. I simply fold the grocery bags and lay them flat against one side, then put in the glass jars, then in the cracks put all the produce and bulk bags.

My house is pretty small, and our kitchen is right at the front door, so I just leave all our bags (produce, shopping, and bulk) in a large bag on the counter next to the door. All our glass jars are kept in the cupboard right by the door, so before my trip while making a list, I'll take out the right containers and put them in! If I end up with too many glass jars for the bag, I just take out a bigger grocery bag as my bag holder.

I have this one and it is a game changer. Totally recommend it. Not only do you use little or no TP, but the feeling of being totally clean afterwards is awesome. I used to pride myself on being a company time pooper, now I wait til I get home (if I can help it) to use the bidet.

Oh, sorry! xD

I got them on Amazon too: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Ecology-Organic-Cotton-Produce/dp/B004UJ0U0C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498257058&sr=8-1&keywords=simple+ecology

So far they are ok. Solid 3.5/5. Supposedly you can keep greens in there if you dampen the bag but mine always get wilted, so I just chop them up as soon as I get them and put them in a bowl in the fridge. Bonus: they're pretty handy for bulk stuff like lentils and stuff too.

Thanks! We have a lot of plastic containers at home, I just want something that can easily fit in a purse. If I don't want to get a 4-set, I was thinking that this bento-box style meal kit might be a good alternative: https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Planet-3-Compartment-Silicone-Collapsible/dp/B0051XRY4Q/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=collapsible+meal+kit&qid=1556468389&s=gateway&sr=8-2

I want something reusable, eco-friendly, microwaveable, dishwasher-safe and collapsible is what I'm looking for. I'm hoping someone could share their experience with this collapsible technology and if it's worth it.

I have yet to try these but they are on my list when I need more shampoo:

https://zerowastestore.com/products/zero-waste-cobalt-shampoo-bar

They have a couple scents but they look eerily similar to lush’s bars.

Noble Formula 2% Pyrithione Zinc (ZnP) Vegan Mango and Cocoa Butter Bar Soap, 3.25 oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00606RORK/

This appears to be the best bar version for dandruff. (I want to mention this one because there’s another brand on amazon/Etsy that is for dandruff but they have palm oil. When I asked if they had any palm oil free options, they sent me a manifesto on how expensive finding an alternative is so poop on them.)

Not OP, but this is the brand I bought off Amazon. I absolutely love mine, they're really great and make me feel so much better about buying produce!

Aww, poor thing!

Yeah, going zero-waste at normal grocery stores is a drag and so much harder than you would think. If you're open to advice, I'd say get some lightweight produce bags online (you can get solids or mesh, and you'll want solids if you're getting dusty things like oatmeal) and use those instead. No tare-ing, no breaking of glass, no waste, everyone's happy. All I do is fold the little print out with the weight and price along the string, and then rip it off when I get home. You pay a tiiiiny bit extra, since the tare scale usually reduces your price by the weight of their available bags, but it's less work for everyone.

You're also way braver than I am. I've yet to venture into asking for meat in my own container. I get nervous just thinking about it...

Anyway, I promise your next experience will be better! We all have moments like that-- it's part of doing something the rest of the world doesn't. You'll have better luck next time!

Edit: This is the kind of thing I'd get for dusty stuff

And this is what I use for everything else

I started with a vintage 60s Gillette razor but it eventually broke. Switched to this one about 3 years ago and still going strong. The butterfly style ones are super easy for replacing blades. At the same time I bought a pack of 100 blades for like $10-15, and am still working through that package. So have spent roughly $30 for 3+ years of shaving.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XSHEJ90/

I highly recommend this company. I bought that set and one of the bags hadn’t been stitched correctly and the seams were splitting. I wrote to the company about getting a replacement bag and they sent me an entire new set. They were very apologetic and gracious. Plus the bags are great.

FYI, the drawstring on the Earthwise produce bags is made from plastic. Still a good idea to use reusable bags but if you want a true zero waste option, we use Simple Ecology and love them!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B5M4JQ8/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1512002326&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=simple+ecology

A common active ingredient in Head and Shoulders shampoos is pyrithione zinc. If that helped you before it might work in a bar as well. I’m not sure if you use amazon or want to order one but this is one used to treat dandruff. You may have luck finding the vanicream z bar in drugstores near you.

1. Yes because they are more water efficient than washing by hand when you run a full load. You can DIY soap, here's a great recipe: http://eco-boost.co/diy-zero-waste-dishwasher-powder-that-actually-works/
   
   
2. I have reusable produce bags that I love. I have two sets of them and I bring them for produce on every grocery run now. These are the ones I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XSHEJ90/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   
3. I use Tiger Balm (comes in a glass bottle with a metal cap and can be reused for other things after it runs out) on my more mild headaches by just rubbing it into my temples. As far as I know/have seen, pain killers don't come in non-plastic packaging so I just resolve to buy in bulk. I just recently bought a bottle of 500 ibuprofen tablets that expire sometime in 2020. Then I just keep some in a repurposed glass jar in my desk at work, some in a repurposed tube in my purse, and the rest at home. Instead of buying more bottles of smaller amounts, just buy in bulk for medicine so you only have one bottle as opposed to a half dozen or whatever. I do the same for allergy pills.

My fiance and I have a set of these from Norwex, his sister is a consultant and we got some at a party she had last year, among some other products (which are really nice). But looking on Amazon I found some that have a lot of reviews and have a high overall star rating:

https://www.amazon.com/flip-tumble-Reusable-Produce-Bags/dp/B002UXQ7QQ

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XSHEJ90/ref=psdc_1252210011_t1_B002UXQ7QQ

Which reminds me that I'd like to pick up some more. Thanks!

1. Basically rice/quinoa/grain with beans & lentils. Sauteed/roasted veggies on that, too. I make my own seitan, too. As far as butter goes - you can make your own! The Vegan Pantry by Miyoko Schinner is honestly priceless. Has so many homemade recipes for butter, sour cream, etc and always tells you what to do with the "waste" (like the pulp after soymilk).
   
   
2. I have three pairs of shoes, some vegan new balance sneakers my work makes me wear, Dr. Martens, and Sanuk sandals. Also, Zappos lets you search for vegan shoes.
   
   
3. I just prefer to make really thick smoothies. If you use a frozen banana and frozen fruit (I literally buy all the fruit... pineapples, peaches, raspberries, etc) and throw 'em together, it's very good.
   
   
4. Don't wear makeup, found this store that has like 30+ vegan lipsticks in tins. She also ships them in just a paper envelope at your request. Also, Pacifica which is found in more stores (Whole Foods, Target) sells lipsticks with 100% recyclable packaging. Seems they also only source boxes, packaging, etc locally so they aren't ordering the tube from overseas or anything.
   
   
5. Dried fruit, roasted chickpeas, homemade "lara" bars (just processed dates, peanuts, and cocoa powder basically).

Miyoko Schinner's Homemade Vegan Pantry includes recipes for fancy vegan cheese that may be exactly to your liking. My boyfriend has a cashew allergy so I have not tried making them myself, but everything I have tried so far has been great!

Use old curtains as cloth napkins. Use old bath or beach towels as kitchen rags to replace paper towels. We've been using the same napkins and rags for over 10 years. I can't imagine how much paper towel and paper napkin that is. But no doubt, someone has made up for our lack of consumption.

In place of those awful disposable tupperware not-quite-trash containers, a bowl with a plate on top of it will keep your leftovers from dinner to lunch. Soups go great into glass jars (don't freeze please). These wax cloth wrappers are pricey, but we have used them to good results. Thinking about making some with our beeswax. These son of a diddlys are awesome to take leftovers to work or bring leftovers home from parties or restaurants. Of course, Amazon will send it to you in 80 boxes and 15 bags.

Try doing less laundry by making less laundry. Try it.

Purchase a reusable razor where the only disposable is the blade.

Compost everything you can.

You could also buy or make produce bags - which are just thin reusable bags that you can fill up with your fruits and veggies if you don't want others touching them. You could sew something like this out of old fabric.

With the deli - you can try to ask them if they will put it in your tupperware but be aware they may say no due to health restrictions.

And it definitely is a lot!! Just try to remember that every small step you take to reduce waste is an improvement :)

I purchased these quart size from Amazon: Link

I like the clear because you can see thru them for identifying what foods are inside and if you're not good about cleaning, you'd see any gunk. They also sell them in snack bag size too: Link

Also, I know you didn't ask for this but putting it here in case anyone else finds it useful. Reusable produce bags: Link

I bought two different sets of 6 bags each that come in mixed sizes from Amazon. I’ll include the links below. I washed and air dried them before use. Love them.

Simple Ecology Reusable Organic... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UJ0U0C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


Reusable Produce Bags - Organic... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074Z6DV26?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I ordered steel straws and a bamboo travel cutlery set https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BFPKFM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and luckily it came in a mylar envelope instead of a huge box with packaging.

I also bought a bidet https://www.amazon.com/Squatty-Potty-Refresh-Toilet-Attachment/dp/B00SLLK6RM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1497282018&sr=8-2&keywords=refresh+it+bidet at a discount store for $20. I haven't used toliet paper at my house since I got it! My husband won't use it though...

If space is an issue, as you mentioned, you might want to go with one of those vertical racks if you have to buy a new one anyways: https://www.amazon.com/Minky-Trio-Concertina-Drying-Silver/dp/B0001A967M/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=vertical+drying+rack&qid=1570831534&sr=8-2


I've seen better ones before that make much better use of the space.... But for some reason the selection on Amazon just wasn't great. But you get which style of rack I mean.

I have these and I really like them. It's fairly easy to see what is in the bag and they are machine washable!

I got this one for christmas and it’s been great! That said I cannot comprehend how anyone can turn the dial past like 2, maybe 3, let alone all the way, without giving themselves an enema...

I use these mesh bags for produce here. The cashiers at the grocery store always comment on how great they are!

Perhaps this is what you're looking for. Try to get it in get the large size. Also if you have some near by, check out any thrift stores and see if they have any.

EDIT: You might also be interested in this one too. Be sure to check the box's dimensions.

This looks like it would be great for silicone bags but
$20-ish on amazon is way too much. I'd probably pay, at most, $5 for this. I could get another set of re-usable bags for that.

/u/hedgehiggle recently recommended a book about making vegan staples (tofu, soy milk, cheese etc). Maybe that would be useful?

I purchased a straw cleaner and I always run water through the straw right after I finish my smoothie because cleaning dried smoothie from a jar or a straw is no fun! I've had it for around 6 months and it has held up well. Prior to that, I would immediately run water through the straw right after use and then clean it later with soapy water. The one I purchased is similar to this but it came only one to a pack rather than four.

I bought these, have held up really well so far (about 4 months of use). Thought they were wrapped in plastic when they showed up, but it's plant-based plastic, so that was okay.

Hot water and a pipe cleaner or brush. They usually come with a tool like this.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0001A967M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PiolDbDGVHA6S
This one is really good, a 3 tier drying rack, it takes up less space in a smaller area and holds a full load of washing, it's also usually sturdier than most others I've used

Its this rack
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001A967M/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_tai_Im1pDbTM43RBT
I hang up shirts, pants aka big items on it. And socks either on the very bottom rows or, if its too packed, off on the sides.

Then underwear, small towels, pillow cases, tank tops, workout shirts and shorts (aka smaller items where wrinkles don’t matter) go on one of these https://www.muji.us/store/aluminum-square-hanger-with-pegs-m-4550002578398.html

Those rules are dumb. That sucks. Can you petition to change that at all? Being eco is now becoming more trendy, maybe others in your complex would be keen too.

Edit If my ceiling was sturdy enough to hold it, I would get one of these https://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/132455217434-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
Such an efficient use of indoor space!

You should show them this alternative:
Flossaid Dental Floss Holder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VQTRQ56?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
It's not 100% zero waste but at least it minimizes it and works just as well.

Not a regular here, but you can use reusable silicone cooking bags. Amazon has a few different kinds.

This is the one I have. I got them on clearance at target so they were a lot cheaper, but if I ever needed to buy more I would buy this one again. It has a nozzle adjuster so you can position where the stream is and I have never had an issue with water spraying anywhere. My mom bought two different cheaper ones from amazon and they did not have the adjuster and they spray water all over the seat.

They do make that! I just got one. Here is the link someone else just posted.

Heads up it does come in plastic packaging, and the only place I was able to find it was Amazon.

You should show him reviews from all the bidet converts here: Luxe Bidet
I know, I know. One more thing to buy on Amazon. But this thing is so easy to install and it will change your life!

Why don't you use reusable produce bags like these? You might pay a few extra pennies since they're very slightly heavier than plastic, but not by much.

I use these. I like that they are transparent, makes it less confusing for checkout people at the grocery store.

https://www.amazon.com/Earthwise-Reusable-Mesh-Produce-Bags/dp/B005E2QRPG

I got this one recently. It isn't really plastic for the window, even though it looks like it is. More of a contact paper material. So far so good. The brush head is a little big for my taste, but includes instructions for composting and recycling on the package.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009O3BCT2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

You can get them on Amazon, too.

Found it!

https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Planet-3-Compartment-Silicone-Collapsible/dp/B0051XRY4Q

https://www.amazon.com/purifyou-Premium-Reusable-Produce-Color-Coded/dp/B00XSHEJ90/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497423734&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=produce+mesh+bags&psc=1

Hoo boy have I got the product for YOU! https://www.amazon.com/Stasher-Silicone-Reusable-Bag-Sandwich/dp/B01DZQT9CU

Start here, maybe?

We had wash plastic bags (e.g. Ziplock, bread and sandwich bags) and use a rack like this to dry them.
Plastic Bag & Bottle Dryer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZE2ODO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MvgKzb0BH3E49

This thing looks cool too but I have no experience washing plastic bags in a dishwasher
Baggie Washer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H0MTK02/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_RygKzbFBAMKJM

You could always install a bidet onto your toilet.


They’re really easy to use and involve no waste.


You can check out one here

I use these. The weight of them is on the tag, some places will subtract that weight from the weight of the produce. Or they will take the produce out to weigh.

I typically just don't use a bag for things I'm buying one of (cucumber, tomato, onion, etc). But I will use it for multiples to keep them together (apples, oranges, lemons) and herbs or smaller things as well (cilantro, garlic, tomatillos, etc)

I love that they come in different sizes, and the have the weight on them. I personally don't bother subtracting the weight. And I just store them with my reusable bags.

I've had a couple cashiers give me funny looks or ask what they are, but I just explain to them that they are reusable produce bags.

When I get home I will typically store the produce in other ways not in the bag. But I have kept the produce in the bag with no ill effect.

Make your own! It sucks if you can't find zero waste vital wheat gluten, but you can always look at ordering larger quantities online. Also, it's still far less waste than repeatedly buying the pre-made stuff.