http://www.care2.com/greenliving/reducing-food-packaging.html
15 Ways to Reduce Food Packaging
It is now a common sight to see shoppers carrying their own reusable shopping bags to the grocery store. That is fantastic, and such an easy eco-friendly action for most of us to take. Still, there’s a ton of material we continue to schlep home when shopping — the cellophane, unrecyclable bags, plastic, and cardboard used in the packaging of many common items. Much of this packaging is unnecessary, but manufacturers know that flashy packaging translates into increased sales.
As of 1994, the European Union requires manufacturing companies to take back and recycle at least 60 percent of their packaging waste, including that used for food items, thus taking the burden off of the consumer and local communities. No such incentive for reducing packaging exists for manufacturers in the U.S. or Canada.
As consumers, there are a number of items we can use or purchase in order to reduce our consumption of excess packaging:
- Bring a travel mug whenever you go to your favorite coffee shop. Many cafes will fill your mug at no additional charge, eliminating the need for those one-use styrofoam cups with plastic lids.
- Use a reusable, stainless steel drinking bottle instead of individual drink boxes or bottles.
- Buy fresh fruits and vegetables instead of produce in cans, frozen boxes and bags.
- Buy in bulk, using your own containers from home to eliminate the use of can, carton, and plastic bag packaging.
- Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.
- Buy big boxes of cereal instead of individually packaged cereals.
- Never buy individual “snack-sized” boxes or bags.
- When washing non-bagged greens, use a salad spinner. That way you won’t have to use paper towels to blot the greens dry.
- Buy quarts of yogurt instead of eight-ounce or smaller cups.
- Use cloth or a gold coffee filter rather than paper filters.
- Buy bulk cheese instead of individually wrapped slices.
- Make your own popsicles using reusable molds, rather than buying boxed popsicles. Be sure to use BPA-free molds.
- Use metal and ceramic baking pans instead of aluminum disposable pans.
- Use loose tea instead of one-use tea bags.
- DIY, green cleaning products instead of commercial cleaning products. Care2 is a great resource for recipes for these easy to prepare recipes, from window cleaner to furniture polish.
Do you have any tips to reduce packaging? Share them below.
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add your comment »You can bring your own containers when buying in bulk. First take the empty container to the register for the cashier to weigh and mark (use a sharpie) the weight onto it. Sure, this will confuse some, but if your market is smart enough to offer bulk, then the cashiers should be used to this and smart enough to handle it. You will not end up paying for your container weight. Dealing with this small "hassle" is easier than the hassle of recycling the extra packaging and paying the extra price for commercial packaging.
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Shanni P....re: your post about no aluminum w/food....about an hr. ago, I read a post by Dale The Green Guy who said(I am pretty sure this is what I read)there is zero connection between aluminum/food and Altzheimers.He did some research which can be found in the archives of the Care2 website(sorry,I thinkk this is the correct website)
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Don't use aluminum for ANYTHING coming in contact with food!!! It might be recyclable indefinately (?) but it is said to cause severe brain damage. traces of aluminum were found in brain tissues in biopsies done on people who had Alzheimer's much more than in people who did not.
Other than that, most eco-friendly tips are also much healthier.
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One of the ways I went greener a few years back was taking my own washable dishes and utensils into work for using during my breaks. This keeps me from using the styrofoam cups, paper plates and plasticware that are in the lunchroom. I also keep a bottle of dishsoap there so I can wash them right afte lunch and I don't need to bring them back and forth. I also use a travel mug for most of my coffee consumption and have a stainless steel water bottle that travels with me.
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Used coffee grounds have been great for my roses...
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One of the worst environmental disasters are those horrible plastic rings that hold canned beverages together. I'm constantly seeing them loose in the steet and such. I break them apart whenever I see them so wildlife doesn't get stuck in those dangerous rings. Cardboard holders are slightly better as at least they can be recycled, yet there must be a safer alternative to those who have that soda addiction, other than large bottled drinks, which tend to go flat easily. ANy suggestions?
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How do you bring your own containers when buying in bulk? You pay by the pound; you'd be paying for your own container. I don't know any bulk-selling stores that would weigh your container for you before hand, or any clerks who wouldn't be flummoxed into uselessness when they encountered your glass bin at the checkout. I'm thinking rice and flour and such, not veggies.
I love the idea of bringing empty mesh bags for fruit. I even have some empties sitting on the counter; I was going to make scrubbies out of them, but maybe that can wait.
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I bring used mesh onion and orange bags to the grocery store when I buy loose fruits or vegetables. They are really easy to store. I put a few in my purse before I go. Word of advice, take any UPC tags off before you use it. I have had them try to scan it in thinking it's one of their bags.
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I use food grade hydrogen peroxide for just about everything - diluted 30:1 it goes a long long way. Washing food, counter tops, kitchen, bathroom, mirrors, pet bowls, can even be used for teeth. Keeps me down to one little bottle for many tasks and one little bottle lasts for quite a while. Check its uses online...J
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Paper coffee filters and the used coffee grounds are compostable as well. And we lucked out on the cheese angle; the grocery store in our town has store-brand cheese slices that aren't individually wrapped. Buying yogurt? Heck, I make my own! Not to mention you can recycle the used plastic yogurt cups as paint holders or something along those lines once they're cleaned (ask local daycares or preschools if they can use them-you'd be surprised what can be useful there!)
Making your own popsicles is actually healthier than store-bought cheap ones-homemade popsicles can be made with fruit juice, whereas the cheap ones at the store are nothing more than colored sugar water-hardly a good thing! And if you have the wherewithal, growing your own vegetables is better than dealing with the storebought ones-they're often tasteless, and if they're not in season the price of the imported veggies can really add up!
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