For many people, grocery shopping happens once, maybe twice, a week and the time between buying and consuming purchases can stretch for days and sometimes weeks. Before I went zero waste, I thought plastic was the only way to keep foods fresh at home.

But as I started eliminating plastic from grocery trips, I discovered more sustainable ways to maintain freshness and prevent food waste. Here are some simple guidelines for storing produce without plastic:

Apples: Refrigerate loose in a bowl or the crisper.

Arugula: Refrigerate in a damp cloth bag or towel and place in the crisper.

Asparagus: Trim woody ends and refrigerate stalks in a jar of water.

Avocado: Store on the counter until ripe, then refrigerate.

Bananas: Store on the counter, away from ethylene-sensitive produce like apples and potatoes.

Basil: Trim the stem ends and store in a jar of water on the counter. The stems will sprout roots after a few days, and you can even transplant them into your garden.