Earthtimes.org
Source: GreenopolisI hate to shop. Or let me put it this way; I’m dangerous when I shop. Especially in a bookstore or hardware store – I can always find some “useful item” I don’t really need or a book I don’t have time to read. If I go food shopping, I buy every food item I think we could possibly want, especially if I’m hungry. And I tend to buy 2 or 3 of something new – like when my wife sent me out for baby bottles for our newborn twins and I came back with two of each kind so we could see which ones we liked best.
So I’ve had to learn how to be easy on the checkbook, credit card and the earth when shopping. Since we vote with our dollars, and our product choices have an impact on our resources, rivers, soils, air and waste streams, we thought we’d pull together a list of tips for saving bucks and the planet when you venture out to your friendly neighborhood merchant, farmer’s market or big box retailer. Use your shopping dollars to make a difference.
- Bring a bag or backpack to the store instead of using disposable bags. Some stores now offer a discount for bringing your own bags. You can also check out Earth Bin, a collapsible recycled plastic box that holds 40 pounds of groceries or goods.
- Buy non perishables in bulk and avoid products with excess packaging. I’ve been known to ship packaging back to the manufacturer and let them deal with it – good feedback for them.
