groceries – Eco Home Ideas

How To Make Grocery Shopping Greener Than Ever

Being green starts at home. And it continues on the street, in your car and at the store. The way you shop can have a huge impact on the environment. It is worth it to make your trip to the grocery store as green as possible, as that can change your entire family’s carbon footprint. Here are a few tips to make grocery shopping as eco-friendly as possible.

Get a reusable bag

This one is pretty obvious, but essential. A good tote bag made out of a resistant fabric and with a hard bottom is priceless. Disposable bags do nothing but fill up landfills, even if they are paper and not plastic. Besides, a big reusable bag is much more convenient, as it will probably fit all of your groceries and you can hang it on your shoulder. Say goodbye to pained fingers trying to hold up the weight of multiple plastic bags. And you’ll be able to carry everything in one trip too! If you are prone to forgetting your reusable bag, there are some that old up into a nice little pocket that you can keep in your purse. Or even as a keychain!

Pay attention to the packaging

Whenever possible, say no to goods packaged in plastic or non-recyclable materials. Nowadays, more and more companies are promoting responsible packaging, so take advantage of that. If you absolutely need to buy products that come in plastic packaging, look for brands that made their containers at least with partially recycled materials. Paper and glass are always preferred, of course. If you are buying dry goods, try to do so in bulk, as that means less individual packages that you will go through.

Look for USDA-certified organic products

Organic produce is made using no toxic pesticides and with responsible farming practices. This means that your family will get better quality goods that do not have toxic substances. Besides, you will not support companies and production practices that contribute to the pollution of our water sources and the reduction of biodiversity. While you are at it, try to get goods that are non-GMO verified. Natural and fresh is always best.

Whenever possible, reduce, reuse and recycle

When shopping, less is always more. Always be on the lookout for ways to reduce your spending and by extension your waste. For example, instead of buying bottled water, get yourself a sturdy stainless steel water bottle and keep it filled. Instead of buying disposable batteries, get yourself a reusable set. If you can buy in bulk and store the food safely in your home, do so. If you find products made out of recycled materials, choose them above other brands.

A Petition To End Food Waste In Whole Foods And Wal-Mart

Here’s something few of us ever think about: produce beauty standards. Specifically, the tendency of grocery stores such as Wal-Mart and Whole Foods to sell only “attractive” produce, and throwing the uglies away. That’s right, turns out that carrots are not all straight and long, potatoes have shovel scars sometimes and apples can be of a weird shape. But none of us see that when we go grocery shopping, because stores throw cosmetically challenged produce away before it even hits the shelves.

It is currently estimated that as much as 26% of all produce in the United States gets thrown away before it reaches the shelves. This is not about rotten, diseased or otherwise inedible vegetables. This is about produce that is just as nutritious (and delicious) as the one in the shelves, but “ugly”. This waste is not joking matter as it contributes to food shortages, water waste, greenhouse emissions and unhealthy diets in the population.

In the US, 80% of all fresh water goes to agriculture and farming, according to the USDA. Besides, the GRACE Communications Foundation states that the American food system is responsible for 33% of all the human-made greenhouse gas emissions in the country. It’s easy to see how wasting more than one quarter of our produce can have an incredibly negative impact in our environment. And it’s infuriating to know that the only reason for this is artificial “beauty” standards we are imposing to the food we eat.

What’s more infuriating is the fact that even in a developed country like the US, there are millions of people who do not know where their next meal is coming from. According to Feeding America, one in six people in the US are food insecure. But even those of us lucky enough to have a full pantry have to battle malnutrition. The CDC estimates that more than four in five people in the US are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. And we are throwing those veggies away before they even have a chance at the stores.

Jordan Figureredo of the End Food Waste Campaign decided it’s time to end this, so he launched a petition in Change.org to get Wal-Mart and Whole Foods to stop throwing away billions of fruits and vegetables that are perfectly fine to eat. This petition wants the two store chains to update their policies and sell “ugly” produce for a discount price instead of preemptively throwing it away. You can contribute by signing the petition and promoting the campaign in social media. And of course, next time you go grocery shopping, give uglies a chance. After all, in a country where food deserts are still a thing, throwing away a banana just because it’s not perfectly curved seems like a silly thing to do, right?