Today I went to Tesco. I hate shopping and avoid it wherever possible, but unfortunately I need to eat and don’t have time to spend all day hunter-gathering.

Having spent my adult life as a poor student, I’ve been in the habit of buying food based entirely on price. My shelves are over-familiar with the Value, Basics and Essentials ranges. However, now I’ve finished my studies I’d like to pay more attention to where my food comes from, how it is treated and how it is packaged. This decision comes from my growing interest in top athletes who swear by veganism, recent dabbling in yoga and self-awareness, and a lifelong passion for the environment (not to mention animal welfare). Never thought I’d become one of “those” people.

I aim to make a conscious effort to follow a healthier, more vegan-oriented diet by cutting back on processed foods and animal products, particularly dairy and red meat. I want to minimise my impact on the environment by choosing local and sustainably/ethically sourced produce where possible, being aware of the processes, by-products and emissions involved in food production and actively seeking products without plastic packaging.

Anyway, back to Tesco. I’ve been disgusted by the amount of plastic for a while, particularly in the fruit and veg section. Admittedly loose produce is available, but the irony is that everyone I saw picking up unpackaged apples, carrots and so on put them in the bags that Tesco so thoughtfully placed there for the very purpose of containing loose items. The plastic bags.

I’m also disgusted that loose fruit and veg is more expensive than the “Suntrail/Redmere Farms” (the tarted-up names for the value range) fruit and veg. Which is swathed in plastic. You’d think that loose produce would be cheaper – packaging costs money?! Unfathomable.

I had to go for packaged kale, spinach, kiwis and satsumas, but otherwise chose loose fruit and veg. I put it in the basket unbagged and *shock horror* suffered no catastrophic consequences. PLEASE don’t use these stupid little bags, and if you must use bags take your own paper or re-used ones.

Having internalised my fruit and veg rant, I made it through the rest of the shopping ordeal relatively unscathed. I chose glass roll-on deodorant rather than plastic (something I’d never thought about before), boxes of tea without unnecessary plastic wrapping, almond milk, sustainably sourced (reduced price) tuna and mackerel and no meat.

They’re baby steps but I think it’s about changing habits sustainably rather than suddenly. Eventually I want to abandon the supermarket and source food from greengrocers, butchers, bakers and so on. Organic, free range, fairtrade, sustainably sourced, humanely treated, unpackaged etc – you get the idea.

I just can’t believe that plastic packaging in particular is still so pervasive (in every aisle, not just fruit and veg) – surely everyone has seen David Attenborough (bless his divine heart and soul) lament the impact of plastics on marine life, or videos of seas choked with rubbish? Turning a blind eye is almost criminal. If the government want something else to tax, I hope for the sake of our environment and my sanity that they make it single-use plastics.  Biodegradable and recyclable packaging exists; as do local producers, humane farmers and sustainable fisheries. It’s time (and has been for years) for the monster corporations to take positive action and put the planet ahead of profits or be held culpable, otherwise there’ll be no planet left to profit from. Such action can be consumer-led if we make two things: 1) conscious choices, and 2) a hell of a fuss. As Che Guevara said, “revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall”. Enough fuss will get noticed, and getting noticed will facilitate change.

I have a lot to learn and I’d like to help others learn too, for the sake of health, welfare (individual, animal and farmer/producer) and the environment. I’d love to hear from anyone who has thoughts on what I’ve wittered on about today, or any related ethical/sustainable/health advice or experience.