Our grocery shopping choices can have a significant impact on the environment, but it can be hard to know what’s best. There are so many choices in terms of the products we buy, the packaging they come in, and even where we shop. There are still many everyday options that would significantly benefit our planet. Here are some quick tips for making your grocery shopping eco-friendly
4 Ways You Can make Your Grocery Shopping More Eco-Friendly
With some small changes to your grocery shopping routine, you can drastically reduce the amount of trash you produce and help clean up the environment while doing so. Use these tips and tricks to make your grocery shopping more eco-friendly!
1. Use Cloth-Based Reinforced Reusable Shopping Bags
Reusable shopping bags are a good way to reduce your environmental impact when you are going to the grocery store or any other store for that matter. Made of thick, durable material, these bags can easily withstand ~50 lbs of weight without breaking. And for easy cleaning, most of them are machine washable. Moreover, they come in different colors, prints, and patterns—all of which help to individualize your shopping experience and make it more fun!
2. Support Recycled Packaging
Recycled packaging is a great way to reduce the amount of waste we generate and help our environment. Most of the plastic and paper packaging we use today will eventually end up in landfills or be incinerated. And though we can’t recycle everything, we can do our part by choosing recycled packaging whenever possible. Look for products with eco-friendly packaging at your local grocery store and see how much less you throw away.
You can also find products made from recycled materials such as environmentally friendly toilet paper, packed in a recycled resin, to save waste and help the environment.
3. Organic Grocery
With so many choices in grocery stores these days, it’s easier than ever to find produce and other food items that are organic. These foods don’t come packaged in plastic and won’t have a negative impact on your health or on animals or plants that live in our environment.
This option is often more expensive than conventional grocery options but is worth it for those who can afford it! If you shop zero waste as well as organic, be sure to bring your own containers to buy bulk!
4. Support Local Farmers
Buying local and buying in-season goes a long way to reduce your carbon footprint and support small businesses. If you shop at a farmer’s market, ask for compostable or biodegradable bags or boxes, so that food waste doesn’t get thrown into landfills! Even if you can’t get to a farmer’s market, local farms frequently sell products at health food stores that are in season.
It may seem like an extra step, but shopping locally supports small business owners, which in turn helps our economy! And who doesn’t love knowing their farmers?
