Time is flying - we're already part way through April and I'm only just getting round to writing up my March switch for the 2021 green challenge.

March saw me try to avoid using the car when food shopping, and while I've had mixed results I have been pleased with the changes this months challenge has brought.

I live in the centre of a small market town, meaning that within 10 minutes of my front door there is a town square which hosts a regular food market. We also benefit from some smaller independent retailers in town, as well as a large supermarket.

I've dug out my canvas bags and the odd bag for life, loaded them into my backpack and I'm ready for my new shopping routine!

Firstly, this part of the challenge took place during both the UK's third lockdown and also at the start of Spring. This was a double benefit for March's challenge as it meant that I had plenty of time to dedicate to food shopping as well as the weather to make walking to and from the shop pleasant.

Pros: Shopping at the local market was a refreshing change and an enjoyable way to select fresh fruit and veg. The local independent shops also provided inspiration as I found myself browsing the shelves more than I would at the supermarket, where you can sometimes find yourself on auto-pilot. I also barely had to use the car for food shopping this month, which is great.

A bonus to shopping locally is the absence (generally) of excess plastic packaging, save for on pre-packaged items like potatoes, onions and salad leaves.

Cons: Unsurprisingly a drawback of only walking to the shops is the physical limitation on what you can buy, so heavy items like multi-pack cans, bags of flour or jars became more logistically difficult to buy in a single shop, so I did find myself shopping more frequently and going to our local corner shop to top up on some items. Not all of my shopping was possible on foot and I did use the car, but only when doubled-up with a trip to the office, so at least it wasn't a completely separate journey just for food shopping. The single car-trip helped with some of the heavier or larger items, and cutting down to one "big shop" per month might be a way forward for us, at least over the spring and summer months.

I also found that while I enjoyed the process of shopping in the market there were a few drawbacks in terms of the availability of some items (such as fresh herbs) and spontaneous buys leading to a less well planned shop, so on a few occasions I found that we had plenty of food, but not the right ingredients for our usual rota of meals.

Verdict: I really enjoyed the process, but I wonder how long I would be able to sustain going to the market as I go back to the office more frequently and have busier weekends as lockdown is eased. I will definitely try to keep shopping locally while the weather is good, and hopefully the habit will stick when it's less enticing to go out.

Next Month:

April's challenge will see me giving shampoo bars a whirl. Lets see if my locks can benefit from a plastic free swap.