Ten Tips for Greener Shopping – A Guest Post
Written by Helga
Tuesday, 10 May 2011 09:27
When I am unable to post on a consistent basis for whatever reason, I welcome guest posts. Today’s post By Kelly Austin might seem like old news to more seasoned greenies, but there are plenty of you just starting on your eco-path. Here’s a few tips to get you started when it comes to shopping just a bit greener.
Wondering how can you can make your trip to the grocery store greener? Concerned about the environment but not sure how you can help the planet on your weekly shopping trip? Follow these tips and you’ll stay green at the supermarket!
Buy in Bulk
Cut back on the processed foods and beverages that come in individual packages. Try to shop at places where you canbring your own containers. Whole Foods has a great selection of bulk foods too, including a huge assortment of dried foods. After you’ve bought in bulk, you can portion the food you make out into reusable containers. You’ll save money and the environment!
Cut Back on Packaging
Whenever you can, buy products that use packaging made from recycled materials or even better, in glass. Remember to always check plastic bottles to make sure they are recyclable.
Buy Local and Seasonal Products
Want to reduce the carbon footprint of your food? Don’t like the fact that your tomatoes were grown halfway around world? Buy seasonal local produce and you can be sure your food is fresh.
Stainless Steel Bottles Save Waste
Buy some BPA-free stainless steel water bottles. You can find them almost everywhere these days and they help cut down on all the plastic water bottles in the recycling bin. Be sure to check the labels to make sure you are getting an aluminum free, stainless steel water bottle, 18/10 is a preferable grade.
Stay Away From Prepackaged Foods
Imagine all the plastic that’s being used to packages those vegetables, fruit and salads. It just takes a few minutes to wash your own salad and it’ll stop extra plastic from going into the landfill. Plus it is more cost effective to do it yourself. The rule of thumb is: the more convenient something is the more it cots. Compare the per ounce cost of shredded carrots to whole carrots, for example, or pre-bagged greens to a head of lettuce. Use vinegar to clean your produce, cheap & earth friendly!
Just Say No To Impulse Buying!
Impulse buying is another major contributor is wasteful shopping. All of the packaging used in candy and other items next to the checkout register contain almost no nutrition and are wrapped in lots of excess packaging. It’s all about planning ahead and not shopping hungry. Get rid of memberships 9and save money!) to stores like Sam’s, BJ’s, CostCo. These stores encourage buying more than you need and the impulse buying, oy!
Recycled Toilet Tissue
You can try recycled paper products. Recycled toilet paper is just as effective &comfortable to use as the kind just cut from a tree. And no, it isn’t recycled from used toilet paper. Silly!
Green Your Laundry
Try an eco-friendly laundry detergent. There are several brands out there like Method or 7th Generation that work quite nicely. There is also the SmartKlean ball that is surprisingly effective. You can often find a wide variety of earth friendly laundry detergents and soaps at larger grocery stores.
Buy Reusable Things
Products that you can reuse over and over are cheaper are much better for the environment than those you throw away after a single use. Try to buy products that will last you a long time, as they are often much cheaper in the long run than having to replace things that break. “You get what you pay for” is true. Buy cheap products, get cheap results. Most of the time.
Stop Wasting Gas
Many people don’t factor in the drive to the grocery store when they think about trying to make their shopping greener. If you want to shop better for yourself and the planet, plan ahead and only go to the store once a week. Try and work out a route that keeps you from driving all over & back-tracking to get it all done.
This article was written by Kelly Austin from HigherSalary.com. Visit her site for information about the average pharmacy technician salary and pay information for other popular careers.
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Ten Tips for Greener Shopping – A Guest Post http://bit.ly/k2rSFa
RT @livegreenmom: Ten Tips for Greener Shopping – A Guest Post http://bit.ly/k2rSFa #Good4Planet