For many people grocery shopping every week is a must. After all, you need to stock up on food for yourself and the family and plan out meals and snacks throughout the week. As with many things in your life, shopping at the grocery store is a great opportunity to go green and help the planet a little. So the next time you hop in the car to head to the grocery store, check out these great green and eco-friendly grocery shopping tips to help you help the Earth.
Buy in Bulk
Stores like Costco and Sam’s Club have made buying in bulk as easy as pie. Buying in bulk reduces the amount of packaging used per food or other grocery item and also makes cooking in bulk (another green step) easier too. So next time, purchase larger quantities that are packaged together. You’ll save money too since buying in bulk tends to be cheaper per food item as well.
Bring Your Own Bags and Boxes
While on a school trip to a landfill I noticed one that that littered the entire ground: plastic bags. From that moment on, I decided to change things around and start using my own cloth grocery bags when I went to the store. Cloth grocery bags are a great alternative to paper and plastic bags because they can be used for years and years. You can often purchase cloth grocery bags at numerous grocery stores across the country. It not only saves money, but it can help keep plastic bags out of landfills.
Buy More Veggies
If you’re like me, you’re a meat lover. I absolutely love chicken and beef. But what many people don’t know is that meat production uses much more land and energy than vegetables. So an easy way to go green and even get a bit healthier is to incorporate more veggies into your diet as opposed to meat. Vegetables can also be cheaper too!
Don’t Go Hungry
A really bad idea is to go to the grocery store when you’re hungry. This generally only leads to wasted food that you won’t end up eating. Instead, go to the grocery store on a full stomach and buy only what you and your family will eat during the week. Less purchased and wasted food means less garbage in landfills and more money in your pocket.
Shop Organic and Local
Many times organic means green. After all you’re not using pesticides or farming techniques that add to soil erosion. This equals less pesticide and soil run off. Additionally, you can also shop local. Buying local produce and meats helps reduce carbon emissions because less fuel is being burned to transport the food. So next time you hit the grocery store, consider heading to the local farmer’s market first.
