I’d rarely done grocery delivery before the Covid-19 pandemic. I actually would have told you, back then, that I much preferred going to the grocery store and picking out my own items. I have several posts on this blog about grocery shopping, and how to do it without too much waste.

I stand by all those posts, but my perspective has changed and the options for grocery delivery have evolved as well.

Since the pandemic hit in 2020, I’ve tried several of the delivery options: Instacart, AmazonFresh, Thrive Market, Imperfect Foods…but my favorite is Denver’s online local grocery delivery service: Pine Melon. Here’s what I love about the experience:

Produce is fresh, seasonal, reasonably-priced, and often local. You can’t always get every single type of fruit, but that’s because they’re not all in season! Pine Melon stocks most fruits and vegetables, but they focus on partnerships with local producers. It has a bit more of a farmers’ market feel to it. You can get the more “basic” fruits and vegetables, but they also have lots of heirloom and unique products like specialty mushrooms, greens, and sprouts.

Packaging is low-impact. Grocery delivery is definitely not zero waste, and Pine Melon is no exception. However, they do try to use minimal packaging with a focus on recyclable and compostable materials. The orders come in paper bags, and produce is left loose, in green paper cartons, or in compostable bags. I use the compostable bags to line my compost bin, now that the Front Range no longer allows us to compost brown paper.

Members get special deals + free gifts. I became part of the Pine Melon “family,” which is basically their membership program. This gives me free delivery on orders over $35, special deals on many products (such as organic carrots for 99 cents and organic romaine lettuce for $1.29), free gifts of products to try, and extra “MelonMoney” back with each order (which usually equates to a few dollars off my next order).

$0.01 deals! Once I got a whole bag of mangoes for one cent. Another time it was four locally-made cookies. Another time it was a huge bag of cherries. It’s so cool to be able to add an item to your order for just a penny!

Their customer service is fabulous. They communicate well when products are out of stock (rarely happens to me!) and they always deliver on time, usually at the beginning of my two-hour window. With other grocery delivery services there are often mistakes - forgotten items, wrong items, spoiled food…I’ve never had that happen with Pine Melon. They’ve always gotten my order 100% correct.

They offer three types of bananas: regular (usually just-ripe yellow), “smoothie ready” = very ripe, and green. I like to know what I’m getting when I order bananas and I’m happy to pay a bit more (or a bit less) for what I want. I usually get the “smoothie ready” ones for baking - just 75 cents for a bunch!

I’ve been super happy with Pine Melon and encourage my Denver friends to give them a try!

Have questions? Ask me! I could talk grocery shopping nuances all day long.

Wanna give Pine Melon a try? Use this link to get $30 off your first order! (Full disclosure, I get $30 too so it’s pretty awesome for both of us!). This post isn’t sponsored or anything, I just like sharing things I like.

I am so excited to share that I do believe I have found an exceptional option for purchasing low-waste foods: Azure Standard! They’re available to people in almost all parts of the US. I just completed my first order (bear this in mind when reading this post; I am not yet a long-time customer), and I am very pleased with the products and the process!

I’ve been shopping at Costco for bulk goods during the pandemic, but I just don’t feel great about all the waste, and they also don’t carry a lot of the items I need in bulk (how do they not sell dry beans!?). Basically, Costco and I tried each other out, and we’re just not a good fit. At first meeting, Azure and I seem to be made for each other! Here’s some more info:

What’s Azure all about?
From their website: “Azure’s goal is to provide the best, most affordable prices for families by operating on a cost-plus basis and passing on any savings when costs go down. We purchase large quantities from independent manufacturers and food makers in order to ensure you get the best quality food available anywhere. We work hard to provide volume discounts where we can, encouraging our customers to buy in quantities they can share with family and friends.”

I love that they encourage sharing with others. I bought large quantities of several items and then delivered portions of them to my friends and neighbors. Less waste for all and serious financial savings too!

What do they sell?
Azure sells a whole range of food products, including many “name brands.” But I was most excited about their own label, under which they sell grains, flours, spices, legumes, pasta, seeds, nuts, dried fruits and more! Most items come in compostable brown paper bags (I called them before ordering to confirm this), and most items are sold in quantities of less than a pound up to 20, 30, 50 pounds or even more. The product pages include lots of information about the origin, processing, and ingredients of every item. This made it easy to make sure I was getting exactly what I wanted. For example, they note that their olive oil is not processed using hexane. This is important information can be hard for consumers to find.

How does shipping work?
When you place an order, you can opt to pay for shipping to your home, or you can have it sent to one of Azure’s many “drop sites.” These are spots along their truck routes where a drop coordinator unloads several orders for customers to pick up. This reduces the stops a truck has to make by consolidating orders (read: reduces carbon emissions!). You can look for a drop site near you: they’re in most larger cities and lots of smaller towns, too. Some locations are eligible for free shipping, while other areas (Colorado) pay a 8.5% shipping fee.

What’s the catch?
I’m not sure there is one! It’s a particular way to get groceries, which appeals to me, but of course it won’t be the right fit for everyone. Here are a few more things to be aware of:

• “Drops” are made once a month. This means you need to plan ahead and get your order in by the cut-off time. (Although, you can pay for shipping to your house anytime.)

• My pick-up site was at a woman’s house. She was very accommodating about when I came to pick up my items. I imagine most drop coordinators are like this, but I can only speak to my one experience.

• Some items came in plastic bags. I’ve gotten pretty used to plastic packaging during the pandemic, but this is just something I wanted to flag for those of you who are striving to be zero-waste!

• They don’t have puy lentils. I really like puy lentils.

Here are some of the products and prices of what I bought in my first order:

• Organic Roasted Peanuts - 30 pounds @ $3.16/lb

• Organic raw cashews - 5 pounds @ $6.48/lb

• Organic raw pumpkin seeds (imported) - 5 pounds @ $3.88/lb

• Organic golden raisins - 5 pounds @ $3.12/lb

• Organic Thomson raisins - 5 pounds @ $2.46/lb

• Organic mango (no sugar added) - 1 pound for $11.48

• Organic red lentils - 25 pounds @ $1.93/lb

• Organic Great Northern Beans - 5lb @ $1.27/lb

• Organic dry black beans - 25 pounds @ $1.59/lb

• Organic popcorn kernels - 5 pounds @ $1.77/lb

• Organic old-fashioned oats - 25 pounds @ $1.00/lb

• Organic fusilli pasta - 10 pounds @ $2.25/lb

• Organic Einkorn flour - 5 pounds for $18.63

• Organic Spelt flour - 5 pounds for $7.66

• Organic white whole wheat bread flour - 10 pounds for $12.08

• Organic olive oil - 1 gallon for $35.37

• Sappo Hill Soap - 3 x 3.5oz bars for $5.87 total

Is it a good deal financially?
Having bought foods from bulk bins for year prior to the pandemic, I’ve memorized many per-pound prices. The prices above, are definitely less expensive than most typical grocery stores. A few items that stand out as particularly good deals: pumpkin seeds, raisins, peanuts, olive oil, pasta. Keep in mind the prices get lower the more you order and I bought 25 pounds of several items.

Is it a good environmental choice?
The more I think and learn about sustainability, the more I realize that everything we do has an impact on the earth. It’s not possible to live on our earth and not change it in some way. Keeping this in mind, all you can do is try to make the best choices possible with the options available. I can’t speak with authority since I’ve done zero actual studies, but given my knowledge of environmental impacts, here are a few considerations:

• Food waste is a huge contributor to carbon emissions, so buying 25 pounds of beans is only a good choice is you’re going to consume 25 pounds of beans (or share them with your neighbors!).

• Another significant chunk of emissions related to food come from agriculture and food production. Azure provides detailed information on their website about the production and ingredients of their products. Their “Core Values” and “Product Standards” indicate their care deeply about soil health, sustainable farming practices, removing harmful chemicals from our food, and more.

• The food you bring into your home also has an environmental impact based on how it traveled to your house. From the farm to factory, factory to packaging plant, packaging plant to distribution center, distribution center to grocery store, grocery store to your home. Azure takes out of a few of those steps, and also delivers to just a few drop sites in each city, meaning their trucks drive less than a truck from, say, a Kroger grocery store.

• Lastly, the packaging waste from my order was minimal. Granted, I only ordered bulk goods from the Azure brands (they sell several items wrapped in plastic). Also, my order was packaged in larger boxes that had been repurposed. Almost all the packaging I received was recyclable or compostable.

More questions?
Leave a comment below or send me a note! I love talking about all things grocery shopping and low waste.

Have you ordered from Azure? Do you think you’ll try it? Do you want to buy a few pounds of beans or oats from me? Happy to share my bulk or to order a few things for you next month!

I am all about super practical tips that help us all make concrete changes that simplify our lives and reduce our environmental impact. I believe that individual actions keep us connected to the broader issues of the climate crisis. It also feels good to “do something” where you can.

I was thrilled when Redfin asked me share my best tip for a more sustainable kitchen.

I had trouble narrowing down my tips to just one, but thankfully they compiled tips from sustainability experts all across the country, so there is plenty of detailed advice. Read more:

Experts Dish Their Secrets for Keeping a Sustainable Kitchen

Which of these practices have you already implemented in your kitchen?

Are there any tips you’d add to the list?

What new habits would you like to adopt this year?

What changes do you think have the most environmental impact?

one // Buy an ethically-raised turkey. Or skip it all together. Don’t support large-scale factory farms; order at least an organic turkey but perhaps go a step further to get one that was humanely raised, like a “pasture-raised.” These practices improve the health of the turkey and the health of the farm. However, don’t be hesitant to skip meat if possible. The environmental impact of raising animals is very significant, so eliminating meat from the meal would go a long way towards reducing your impact.

two // Use reusables not disposables. Food always tastes better off a real plate with a real fork. It’s a great time to bust out the china, if you have it. Your ancestors definitely weren’t eating with petroleum-based silverware!

three // Don’t buy any new decorations or clothing. Use what you have! Be grateful for what you have! Holiday decorations are the single-use plastic of home decor. If you already have some, great, but no need to go out and buy more. Especially during a pandemic!

four // Minimize food waste, and try to compost whatever you can. I’m always the person who takes compost home from a family party. Even though we’re having small gatherings this year, perhaps there’s someone who can collect the food scraps in a paper bag if you don’t have a way to compost yourself. Alternatively, there’s likely a compost drop-off point near you.

And nip food waste in the bud at the outset by making sure you don’t cook too much food, fill your plate too high, or forget to properly store what’s leftover. Also, make turkey broth from the carcass or send it home with someone who will.

five // Enjoy mashed potatoes! Did you know potatoes have one of the lowest carbon footprints of any food we eat? It only takes 3 gallons of water to produce one potato. They’re super sustainable, so be proud of your second helping.

six // Get outside. A walk or a “trot” before or after the Thanksgiving meal is always a good idea. The more we connect with nature, the more we think about the ways can help be good stewards for the earth.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A few weeks ago, I received a note from a reader asking for help avoiding plastic. (S)he wrote:

“I’m so interested in reducing waste but struggle with plastic as it seems to be part of every food item not bought in bulk! Please help!”

The struggle is real.

As much as this might sound defeatist: I’ve completely given up being “zero waste.” It’s just not possible. Instead, I’m focusing my efforts on the ways my family can have the greatest environmental impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

That does not mean I am blasé about tangible waste! Just today I went out to lunch at a new restaurant that’s touting itself as sustainable but was serving in-house diners on disposable plates. I voiced my concerns to the staff about this. I had my own forks in my bag so I didn’t have to use their disposable ones.

We have to be realistic about what we can do. We have to operate within the system we find ourselves even as we work to change it. With that in mind, here are eight tips for reducing your environmental impact around eating, both at home and from restaurants:

one // Buy in large quantities. The original “bulk.” Even though I can’t fill with my jars at my local grocery store anymore, I try to reduce packaging but buying the same size bags that grocery uses in their bulk section. Costco is great for this, as is Walmart. Local suppliers can be found too; depending on your region. Always buy the biggest bag you can when it’s a product that will keep.

two. // Avoid animal products an other emission offenders. Eating less meat and animal products is a great way to reduce your environmental footprint. It has a much larger impact that “going zero waste.” Also consider limiting foods that are known to be bad for the environment such as palm oil.

three. // Use your voice. This is particularly relevant when it comes to eating out. So many restaurants and food suppliers have made the choice to refuse personal containers from customers and mandate the use of single-use plastics/disposables. This is of course their prerogative, and it comes from a good place (trying to keep everyone safe and healthy), but as a consumer you have the right to voice your opinion and point out that the risk of surface transmission of coronavirus is not eliminated by using more plastic products. And you can always choose not to visit an establishment!

three // Make it yourself. We can’t make everything ourselves, but if you think about what foods you consume most often, maybe you can make some of them. I’m making less things myself because we’re currently doing a kitchen renovation, but thanks to a friend’s bread maker, I’m still making my own bread. This saves me so many plastic bags per week! Do what you can.

four // Avoid food waste. Food waste is a significant source of emissions, especially if they’re not composted. Try to make the amount of food your family will consume, and remember that most things freeze well. If you have unopened goods you know you won’t use, consider sharing them with neighbors or a food pantry nearby.

five. // Compost! Composting is the #1 thing I suggest to people looking to decrease their environmental footprint. There are more and more easy ways to compost in Denver, and perhaps in your city too! We have the municipal pick up, as well as several private companies who offer service to apartment dwellers and local businesses. A backyard bin or a vermicompost is always a good option too! Here’s an excellent guide to composting at home.

six. // Support “good” companies. Research the companies you’re supporting. Look beyond the advertising on the packaging to see what their corporate sustainability practices are. Do they do any work to help the environment? Wind energy? Regenerative farming? Carbon neutral? A company’s website is usually a good indication of what they’re committed to: look for details and not just vague statements. And being a certified B Corp is always a plus.

seven. // Resist “kid-friendly” or convenience foods. Convenience foods are the main plastic packaging culprit. Companies try to make their products more convenient for consumers and this typically means putting things in individual packages. Likewise, there tends to be a pervasive culture that suggests kids “have” to eat certain foods: juice boxes, cheese sticks, Z bars, etc. But truly, they don’t. Cut up some cheese. Pour them a glass of juice from a large bottle. I’m not saying you can’t give your kids some treats from time to time, but if you’re willing to do just a little more work in the kitchen, you can save yourself a lot of plastic and money!

eight. // Eat local. By buying local products, you cut down significantly on the shipping emissions related to a product. Visit farmers’ markets, sign up for a CSA, grow your own food. Reducing the semi trucks on the roads delivering food can have a huge impact.

What suggestions do you have ? There are so many other things we can do; but don’t forget to use your voice to advocate for more systemic change! The burden cannot and should not be placed entirely on the shoulders of individuals.

Today marks the first day of “Plastic Free July,” a campaign that aims to decrease plastic waste worldwide. By “taking the challenge,” you commit to decrease your plastic consumption in one or all of three ways: refuse single-use plastics, target the takeaway plastics, or go completely plastic free.

In the past, I’ve gone completely plastic free, but because of recent changes in the wake of COVID-19, it’s just no longer possible for my family. So instead I’m back to focusing on refusing single-use plastics. My other goals for the month to reduce my environmental footprint: refuse single-use items of all materials (glass, bioplastics, paper) and eat vegan except for the occasional pasture-raised egg.

Ok, so what exactly are “single-use plastics?”

This morning I posted on my Instagram to ask if the plastic bag from a pound of pasta counts as single-use if I’m using it in just one meal for my family. Many said yes. I totally agree with that logic, but for my goals this month, I’m not going to count it. I’m going to continue to try to avoid this type of plastic, but I my journey about environmental issues over the years has made me realize the environmental footprint of a product is much more than just its packaging. For example, I’ve stopped drinking dairy milk even though I was able to get it in a reusable glass bottle, making it zero waste.

The National Resources Defense Council has a great deal of useful information about plastics and plastic pollution. They define a single-use plastics as “goods that are made primarily from fossil fuel–based chemicals (petrochemicals) and are meant to be disposed of right after use—often, in mere minutes. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags.”

But even though definitions are great, we all know I like the nitty gritty. What EXACTLY should we be avoiding this month and onward? To help us out, I created two lists, below: 1) Definitely avoid, and 2) Try to avoid.

Have a read and tell me what you’d add to these lists!

Single-use plastics to DEFINITELY avoid consuming this Plastic Free July (and beyond):

• Plastic straws

• Plastic water bottles (come on, folks, it’s 2020!)

• Plastic takeaway cups from cafes and restaurants

• Plastic and bioplastic cutlery

• Plastic or “paper” plates at restaurants or BBQs

• Plastic produce or grocery bags

• Individually packaged snack foods: granola bars, chips, fruit snacks, candy bars etc.

• Individual juice boxes/pouches or other drinks meant for one person to consume in one sitting.

• Meat or cheese that comes with plastic dividers between each slice. This includes cheese sticks!

• Single-serving yogurt cups

• Zip-lock bags for snacks or leftovers. Use reusable bags, glass jars, or even reusable plastic containers.

• Plastic wrap and wax paper for cooking or storing leftovers

• Six-pack rings (that commonly come on beer or soda cans)

• Baby wipes, clorox wipes, makeup remover wipes, ALL DISPOSABLE WIPES!

• Dental flossers

• Q-tips

• Balloons and other party decorations

• Plastic ribbons and other gift wrapping

• Disposable plastic gloves

• Chewing gum (it’s plastic, you know!)

• Glow sticks and other toy trinkets that won’t be played with longer than a few hours

Single-use plastics you should TRY TO avoid this Plastic Free July (and beyond):

• Food in plastic packaging that you’ll consume during one meal.

• Takeout containers that contain food to be consumed during one meal.

• Disposable diapers

• Disposable period products

• Plastic tape (sure you gotta mail stuff and your kids like to craft, but use it sparingly!)

• Plastic lighters (try long matches for lighting fires and camping stoves)

• Plastic packaging that comes with shipped packages (from places like Amazon!)

Conscious consumption is a goal of many, especially when it comes to food. As recently as a few months ago, my grocery shopping was guided by a commitment to minimizing my environmental impact. This meant buying food with no packaging, eating mostly vegan, and not wasting food. I rode my cargo bike to the nearest grocery chain store and filled my jars and cloth bags with the bulk goods and produce my family of five would need for a week.  I prided myself on being almost “zero waste” and making many things from scratch: bread, yogurt, nut milks and butters.

I did not shop at Costco. Other than a few jars of lentils, I didn’t stock much dried food in our pantry. But then, in early March, the bulk bins suddenly “closed.” They were replaced with items in pre-portioned plastic bags. The store asked customers to stop using their own containers. My world was turned upside down. And, worse, my flour jar was empty.

I was genuinely flummoxed: where did one buy raisins if not from the bulk section? Pepitas? What about flaxmeal; does that come in a plastic bag somewhere? All the staples my family was used to consuming seemed elusive. I couldn’t find them in bulk, or even in packaging for that matter. 

My main concern was, of course, the unsettling news about COVID-19. But, practically, I needed to feed my family. Amidst these worrying reports and “stay at home” orders, a glimmer of hope: I saw on social media that several Community Supported Agriculture options were providing local delivery. I immediately signed up for two, and felt the tension in my chest ease slightly with the possibility that I’d found a way to support the local food economy and nourish my family.

Now, once a week, the ultimate gift appears on my doorstep: minimally-packaged local produce. I peer into the boxes and then strategically plan our meals. I cook the most perishable vegetables first. I am careful not to waste anything edible. We’ve enjoyed wild mushrooms cooked in farm-fresh butter, sautéed carrot tops, muffins baked from bruised apples, and sour-milk pancakes. We are surviving without the bananas to which we were accustomed. I am pleased I’ve always known how to deliciously prepare those lentils I had in my pantry.

As for my flour jar, a generous Costco-loving friend gifted me a 25-pound bag. One of the CSAs offers bags of hard red wheat flour, too. It turns out flaxmeal and raisins aren’t too hard to find in packaging. The carbon footprint of that plastic waste is counteracted by the sustainable local agriculture I am supporting. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to return to the bulk bins. But I do know I’ll be keeping these CSA subscriptions indefinitely.

When I first started my “zero-waste journey” I was pretty singularly focused on the waste. I started buying more dairy milk than ever before because I could get it from a local dairy in a reusable glass bottle.

But, as my journey has progressed, I’ve become less focused on tangible waste and more focused on the broader environmental implications of what I’m purchasing and consuming. I recently read an article that included a comment from a food company executive. He said that consumers don’t care about the environmental impact of what they’re buying, they just care about the taste. I disagree. I think more and more of us are taking some time to weigh the ethical consequences of what we purchase and consume.

The issues that plague each variety of plant-based milk are particularly hard to sift through. Almonds are bad: too much water. Coconut milk is marred by the problems of worker exploitation in Southeast Asia. So what is one to do? Which milk should we drink? Thankfully, The Guardian broke it down pretty well for us last month. This article, along with others I’ve read on the topic, have formed my latest set of guidelines to inform which milk is “best” in terms of environmental impacts. These may change in time, but for now, here are my 5 tips for deciding which milk is “best”:

one // Dairy milk is always the worst choice. Even if it’s from a local dairy in a glass bottle, the environmental footprint of raising dairy cows for milk is significantly worse than any of the plant-based milk alternatives.

two // Almond milk, coconut milk, cashew, and rice milk are the worst of the plant milks, but they’re still much better than dairy! Not only does almond milk require way more water than any other dairy milk alternative, but 70% of bees are called on each spring to pollinate almonds. We don’t have that many bees! Cashews are pretty water-intensive crop, too, but the good news for consumers is that they’re relatively cheap. As for coconut milk, the international demand for it is ruining the lives of farmers. Rice milk is also a major water hog, and rice production contributes more greenhouse gases than any other plant (yikes I might need to reassess our rice consumption).

three // Hemp, hazelnut, flax, and soy are all good picks. I, personally, am thrilled that soy is “okay” again after people were all against it for a few years. The looks I sometimes get whey I try to order a soy latte! No one should be eating too much soy, and it should ideally be organic, but it’s totally fine in moderation. Hazelnuts grow on trees which help capture carbon, and are also grown in moist climates so they require less water. Hemp and flax are “niche crops” grown in northern hemispheres which makes them more sustainable than monoculture crops.

four // Oat milk and pea milk are good, with a few caveats: Oat milk is on the up and up (just check out any local cafe!), and it’s good from a growing viewpoint, but there’s a bit of concern about how many pesticides are used on oats. If you’re buying organic you might be better off, but there are unfortunately many organic forms of pesticides that are still pretty bad. Chobani just released an oat milk yogurt which kind of seems like both a good and a bad sign to me…As for pea milk, it’s pretty good on the environmental side, but the main producer Ripple ships it’s peas to the US from France, so that’s not ideal. I’m going to dig a bit deeper on this one.

five // Buy shelf-stable TetraPak cartons, not the ones in the dairy aisle. Milk cartons are made of three materials: aluminum, plastic, and paper. TetraPak presses these three layers together instead of gluing them. This means TetraPak is much easier to recycle than the glued ones. TetraPak also has a clearly defined sustainability mission in which they commit to many progressive environmental practices such as those that support a more circular economy.

What are your thoughts? Do you think this much about your milk? What are your favorites? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m not 100% vegan. But you cannot deny the studies that show the immense environmental impacts of animal agriculture. Get informed and then make your decisions!

Here in Denver we are so lucky to have a forward-thinking company that is offering city dwellers zero-waste grocery delivery! Infinity Goods launched last fall, and keeps adding new products all the time. I’ve been following them on social media since the beginning, but finally placed my first order last week!

Not to sound over-confident, but I’m pretty darn good at zero-waste grocery shopping. However, it takes a lot of time. A LOT. When I go to the grocery, it’s more or less the only thing I plan for that day. I have to gather my bags and jars, bike to and from the store, shop for an hour or so, come home and unload, and transfer all the food into jars or containers. When you order from Infinity Goods, everything comes ready to be put in the fridge or pantry. Not to mention everything looks beautiful in reusable containers.

On their website, Infinity Goods offers bulk products and loose produce from local Sprouts and Whole Foods stores, as well as other local markets. They don’t carry meat, but aren’t 100% vegan: they offer some dairy products.

But what’s better than that, is that they’re sourcing several products directly from local companies. So you can buy things like ketchup, tofu, cheese, ice cream and pasta in reusable packaging (or compostable packaging, in the case of cheese) from a local company! How cool is that?

They also are working with local companies who will take back their containers to reuse. I tried the salad dressing from Bloombox and Unwrapp’d energy bites. The dressing is GREAT. I won’t get the energy bites again - too expensive for just 6 balls. I make this kind of thing at home for much cheaper. But if you’re buying Larabars or similar, these would be a good choice.

Another win: EGGS. Eggs with no packaging! Look at those beauties below!

The jars and produce bags are given to you with your order, and you return them the next time you place an order. Or you can just request pick up on their website. I loved how on-point their packaging and branding is. A zero-waste nerd’s dream!

They’re still a relatively new company, so they’re ironing out a few details (for example, some of my jars were labeled with dry erase marker which wiped off and could not longer be read). But they were super open to my feedback and helped address some of my concerns!

As with most delivery services, you’re paying a bit more for the convenience. Infinity Goods prices things by item number or jar size, instead of weight, so it’s hard to do a direct price comparison to Sprouts or WF. However, I priced out some of the items by weight and found I was only paying a little bit more per pound. Totally worth it for the time saved, in my opinion.

If you want to try out their service, use the code PLASTICFREE2020 for 10% off an order. Or you can use the code LOVEOVERPLASTIC to get free delivery February 10-13. This post isn’t sponsored; these codes are available to everyone. I just wanted to share this awesome company. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions!

Have you tried them? What do you think? Would you want this offered in your city?

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll notice I post a lot about biking. Switching to a “car-lite” lifestyle has been one of the most significant intentional changes our family has made in the past couple of years. I am a huge believer that biking or walking more instead of driving has a profoundly positive impact on one’s life. It also is a change that helps minimize your environmental footprint. Transportation is the largest contributor to C02 emissions in the US. And most of the driving comes from short trips around one’s town or neighborhood. Of course the automobile has opened up so many opportunities to us, but next time you go to jump in the car for a short trip, ask yourself if maybe you could get there by a smaller, cleaner vehicle instead. (Or a larger one with lots of people on it!)

In order to making biking your norm, you need a bike to suit your needs. Enter: the cargo bike. We bought ours two years ago, and as cheesy as it sounds, it has truly changed my life. I get a decent number of questions and comments about my bike, so I thought I’d do a little FAQ here for anyone who’s interested. Let me know if there’s anything you’re curious about that I’ve missed.

What type of bike is it?
Our bike is a Nihola 4.0.

Nihola bikes are made in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their “family” model is the most popular: it has one bench which fits two children. Our model, the 4.0 has two benches so it can fit up to 4 children with seat belts.

Where’d you get it? Is it custom?
We ordered our bike from Practical Cycle, a bike store in Sacramento, California. They import Nihola bikes from Copenhagen and have sold them to customers across the United States. The bike was shipped in a truck directly to our garage! The cost of shipping was minimal relative to the overall purchase.

Why not just use a trailer or bike seat?
We’ve used both of those bike attachments to transport our kids. But when I was pregnant with our third child, I realized I really wanted a bike that I could use in place of a car to go almost everywhere we need to go. I didn’t want to bike just for recreation or occasional use. A trailer and/or bike seat can be heavy and awkward depending on your set-up. I loved the idea of a “bucket bike” where I could just throw everything in the cargo area and not worry about attachments or the kids dropping things etc.

Why a bucket bike instead of a longtail?
Longtail bikes were some of the first cargo bikes for carrying kids available to the American market. I remember over 10 years ago I watched a video about a family using an Xtracycle for errands (they bought a tree at a nursery, haha) and seeing that lit the flame that turned into a burning desire to own a cargo bike. But later, I saw a Madsen bucket bike (basically a longtail with a cargo bin on the back) and thought that would be much better for kids. More research led us to the Nihola, and I love having the kids in front of me so we can talk and I can keep an eye on them. And I love having the ability to just throw everything inside the cargo hold and get on our way. I don’t have to think too much about adding bags or attachments. And I don’t have to worry about the kids dropping their belongings en route!

Why do you like it so much?
This might actually be the hardest question to answer, just because it’s hard to put it into words. Riding a bike gives me a feeling of freedom and excitement while simultaneously making me feel calm and at peace with the world around me. The sensory experience of the breeze in your face and the weather all around you is truly good for one’s soul. I love getting my exercise while also getting somewhere. I like talking with the kids about the things we see around us. When I see traffic, I am gleeful that we’re not stuck in it. Riding a bike makes me feel strong and independent. The most mundane errand, is more fun when you’re biking. At least, it is to me!

When are you going to let your kids bike on their own?
When Denver has more protected bike lanes? ;) Kidding. Kind of. Willa is 7, and her biking skills are improving. Cameron is almost 5 and he’s good on a bike too. They bike on her own for recreation and in parks. But generally, the traffic and roads around our neighborhood do not feel safe for children, in my opinion. Even the large park we live near allows cars on the roads, and the drivers go too fast while looking at their phones. I wish my kids were able to bike more on their own, because I think it’s important for kids to be independent. And I’m a parent who is ok with kids taking on a bit of risk. But I also have to be honest with myself about where we live and central Denver just isn’t the best place for kids to be biking on their own at a young age. I’m hopeful the bike infrastructure will continue to improve though.

All that said, I plan to keep riding the Nihola with the kids for years to come. Often we bike to places that others would drive. This morning I took Willa to her soccer game 5 miles away. She’s not going to bike that on her own any time soon.

Is it hard to ride?
In short, no. It rides much easier than I thought it would before buying it. Even though we have the electric assist, we don’t use it all the time. The Nihola is relatively lightweight as far as cargo bikes go. The challenges with riding it are more related to navigating streets and obstacles in the city. It doesn’t clear steep curb cuts, so I have to angle the wheels to make sure the front doesn’t bottom out. It also doesn’t have the same turning radius as a two-wheeled bike, so I sometimes have to do three-point turns. Locking it up can also be tricky sometimes, depending on what types of bike locks are available.

Where do you ride it?
Pretty much everywhere! We live in central Denver, so we can get to so many places within a mile or two. We use it almost every day for school drop off and pick up, as well as trips to the grocery store, the doctor, friends’ houses, and more. I love having the cargo bike in the garage ready to go at all times, so we can just jump in it without too much rigamarole. I try not to drive unless I’m going somewhere over 5 miles. Last summer, we did swim lessons 4 days a week for 4 weeks about 45 minutes away (biking). I biked most days. It was a great way to spend time together with the kids and for them to decompress after swimming. Last year, I used the bike to bring my son’s classmate home from their preschool a couple days a week. I call it my “bike minivan:” I use it for everything!

Do the kids like it?
Yes! They’ve gotten very used to it over the past two years. They often complain now if we’re going to drive somewhere. But, just like anyone, they can get crabby if it’s hot or we’re on a long ride. They sit pretty close to each other so kicking and yelling at each other is not uncommon. But neither is singing songs or laughing. Mostly, we have a good time when we’re biking around the city.

Is it just for carrying kids?
No way. We sometimes load it up with lawn chairs and a cooler for a picnic in the park. I regularly use it for grocery shopping. Occasionally I’ll ride in it for a date night! (When we were in Copenhagen, that was commonplace!) Whatever kind of cargo you need to move around, there’s a bike for that!

How much cargo can it hold?
The bike can carry 265 pounds plus the rider. People often ask when the kids will be “too big” for it, but going by their weights, it will be a long time before we out grown it!

What about when it’s cold or rainy?
There’s a rain cover for days with inclement weather. We use it occasionally, but thankfully we don’t get too much precipitation in Denver. On days that are just cold, I have the kids bundle up with coats and blankets. The cover makes kids cozy for sure, but it’s hard to get them in and out of their seats and it’s sometimes a bit claustrophobic for them. I stay warm by using no assist and getting my heart rate up!

How much was it?
The Nihola 4.0 was $3500 and we added a BionX e-assist battery for an additional $2000. I sometimes feel uncomfortable when people ask how much it cost, but I also remind myself and them that it was much less than a car! And we are now a one-car family, so we feel like we came out ahead! There are definitely more inexpensive cargo bikes available, but we wanted one with high-quality parts that would last for years. We are hoping to use it for many years to come.

Should I get one?
YES! I’m a big believer that everyone needs some sort of cargo bike. Even if you don’t have kids, we all have stuff we need to carry around. You’re more likely to bike places if you have a way to carry cargo (hello, grocery store!). There are so many types of cargo bikes, there’s definitely one that would suit your needs.

If you’re in the Denver area, I highly recommend MacKenzie at Hardt Family Cyclery in Aurora. In other cities, search “cargo bike shops” and I’m sure you’ll find something not too too far away. They’re becoming more common all the time.

There’s tons of information available online too. Check out Denver Bicycle Lobby on Twitter or Cargo Bike Republic on Facebook; both communities have tons of advice to offer!