- Buy Fresh, Organic and Close to Home - Avoid canned and frozen fruits and vegetables. Not only are they not as good for you, the energy and materials used in processing and packaging them place a strain on the environment. Not to mention the fuel to ship them to your grocery store. Instead, search out fresh local produce and support your local farmer's market. You will be doing your body and your local economy a favor at the same time
- Shop In Season - If you are choosing exotic fresh fruit in the dead of winter you know it comes at a high cost. Think about the environmental price tag to fly that fruit to your doorstep and choose something seasonal instead
- Start A Garden - Even better than shopping local, consider growing produce in your own backyard. It can bring you peace of mind and be an excellent learning experience for the children in your house
- Choose Less Packaging - Next time you shop think about how things are packaged and choose accordingly. Keeping products out of the waste stream prevents landfill greenhouse gas emissions. Opt for recyclable shopping bags whenever possible. According to recent estimates, 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used each year. Plastic will not bio-degrade ever.
- Eat Less Meat - While vegetarian may not be the way for you, consider at least reducing your meat consumption. Meat production is a very carbon-intensive process and the methane released by cows contributes to greenhouse gas emissions
- Eliminate Bottled Water - According to the New York Times, Americans consume 30 billion single-serving containers of bottled water a year. Again, plastic will NEVER biodegrade.
- Go Vintage - Rather than rushing out to fill your closet with the latest fad, consider going vintage. Vintage clothing stores are popping up across the country filled with fashionable recyclables. You can be stylish, environmentally conscious and thrifty all at the same time
- Shop Online - Take advantage of the online shopping sites which allow you to make multiple purchases without ever leaving your home. While you still must factor in shipping costs, it is a better environmental choice than driving all across town in search of the perfect item
- Buy in Bulk - Buying in bulk for those everyday items is smart on multiple levels. Not only do you save money, but time, energy and packaging as well. What could be better than that?
- Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! - If every American would recycle just one out of every ten #2 plastic bottles we could keep 200 million pounds of plastic out of our nation's landfills each year.
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