Growers and Grocers

While the saying it’s not easy being “green” still holds true in some areas, it is becoming easier to be green than ever before. That’s because of an increasing education of the general public regarding the environment and the growing willingness of local governments to take on greater ecological responsibility.

Whether you live in one of America’s greenest cities such as Eugene, Oregon, or, in a place where the infrastructure isn’t so environmentally friendly, you can still have a positive impact on the environment at the grocery store. Here are a few ways to make more environmentally friendly choices.

Bring Your Own Grocery Bags

One of the worst things for our environment is plastic. Most plastics take hundreds of years to decompose. An easy way to limit the amount of plastic bags that you use, and ultimately, throw away, is to purchase reusable grocery bags.

Purchase Less Packaging

Try to buy products with as little packaging as possible. Instead of multi-packs, purchase large jugs of juice and use your own containers. Look for a block of cheese instead of individually wrapped slices.

Organics

Organic foods are grown without the use of chemicals or other pesticidal agents that harm the environment. If you are purchasing organic meats, these have been raised apart from the ecologically destructive factory farming systems.

Buy Local

Supporting your local farmers market can save a significant amount of carbon emissions. Instead of foods being shipped hundreds and even thousands of miles, most farmers markets offer fruits and vegetables grown by members of your own community.

Veg Out

Going vegetarian is a great way to help the environment. Animal agriculture is the largest producer of greenhouse gases. In addition to being responsible for some eighteen percent of total greenhouse emissions worldwide, animal farms are the number one producer of methane gas. Methane has twenty one times the warming potential of carbon dioxide. Further, meat production can use up to twenty times as much energy and ten times as much water as growing grain. However, even if you do not completely eliminate meat from your diet, you can still “green” up your meals so to speak by eating vegetarian a few times each week.

Plan Ahead

Plan. Don’t fall into the trap of making random trips to the grocery store. Make a list, and plan your meals and purchases accordingly. Planning ahead for grocery shopping will save both fuel and the associated greenhouse gases. It will also eliminate waste. By sticking to your planned grocery list you are less likely to make sporadic purchases that will possibly go uneaten and have to be discarded.

Get Fit

A great benefit of “green” grocery shopping is that most ecologically friendly food items are quite healthy. You will often find yourself eating foods that are both nutritious and tasty, while also being low in harmful additives, artificial flavors and fat. Combine healthy eating habits with 30 minutes of daily exercise and chances are, you’ll be around long enough to see the positive effects that both you and others like you are having on the environment.