Supermarket Scrutiny

Superdino and Mercadona are the two biggest outlet supermarkets on the island. You will also find Eurospar in more populated area’s such as Corralejo and Puerto del Rosario. Hiperdino's or ‘superdino’s’ are everywhere here. So how easy is it to be package free when shopping at your local supermarket in Fuerteventura . . .

You can find some fruits and vegetables . . Banana’s, oranges, pears, aubergine, mushrooms, green beans etc . . . They also have a pick and mix area for dried fruits and nuts. If you bring your own reusable bag instead of the plastic ones they provide. . .

I understand this is a difficult habit for people to put into their everyday regime. Of course the ideal solution is that everyone brings their own reusable bag. But for the occasion when you may forget, it would be great if these supermarkets provided paper bags instead of the thin plastic that rips so easily in any case.

The pastries and bread can also be brought without packaging . .

(my diet has not been at its best).

They provide a bag for your bread which is partly paper and partly plastic for whatever reason, who knows . . . So that others can admire your bread from afar . . .

So I am surviving pretty well with the limited package free items I find . . .

I am always so excited to see what veggies I can buy without the plastic. One problem though is they have a system on the Island where you have to weigh your fruits and veg, then print a sticker so that they can scan it at the check out. . This is also the same rule for supermarkets in Italy. . .

In places such as Lidl and Sainsbury’s, you (or the cashier) can just select the item on the screen. The machine recognizes the weight and gives a price, without the sticker.

This is a much better system with less waste, as it was years ago.

I haven’t found any place where you can take containers to refill items such as cereal (I really miss my cereal!), rice, beans, lentils etc but I did find rice in a paper bag at the Hiperdino, which I was very thankful for.

The supermarkets here also have a juicing machine where you can squeeze your own orange juice . . They provide plastic bottles. Its a great idea to have this as you can bring your own bottle as long as its the same ml as the selling price. 1 liter is 3.19€ 500ml is 2.20€. Or you could buy with the plastic bottle they provide and reuse it. . Though I don’t recommend using plastic bottles especially with the heat from the sun here. We all know that heat activates the chemicals in plastic that releases into what ever liquid is contained.

One great thing is that they have started to introduce paper bags at the checkout in Mercadona, which you pay 10c for. So if you find you have forgotten your reusable bags, there is still an option that is not harmful to the environment! YAY!

I hope this post is helpful for anyone that travels to Fuerteventura and is looking for a better way to shop for the earth.

Thanks for reading!