Baby Steps To Going Green At The Grocery Store

I'm looking at my attempts to "go green" as if I'm going on a "diet," because in a sense I am: an "energy diet." Successful dieters know that in order to lose weight they have to monitor how many calories they are consuming. They know that by making small changes and turning those changes into habits, they can achieve their goals. I’ve decided that to reduce my carbon footprint I need to do the same. I need to know what I’m consuming and make small changes -- baby steps, to ensure my success.

Lately, I've been looking at my grocery shopping as an area on which to concentrate. Everything that we purchase has a cost to the environment. It all adds up: the milk we drink for breakfast, the plastic jug that contains it, the plastic bag that brought it home. Every one of those things has a negative impact on the planet because of the greenhouse gasses that procuring them releases.

I hear what you are thinking. “Shelly, I can see the plastic jug and bag … but surely not the milk? That's udderly ridiculous!”

Darn tootin’ it's true… literally! Those cows, and other livestock, produce methane gasses and more CO2 emissions than our transportation methods. Ruminants, such as cows, sheep and goats are responsible for more than 1/3 of methane emissions which are 20 times more powerful at trapping solar energy than carbon dioxide.

Scientists have discovered that feeding cattle the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oils not only makes the cows more healthy, but significantly reduces those emissions. Not just in the cows, but in us!

Now, it makes sense to cut back on our consumption of meats (except for bacon, of course) just from a health standpoint – but it is also good for the environment and your pocketbook! My first change in my shopping habits began in the Meat Department.

We no longer “feature” meat at a meal. Years ago, our plates were covered with a huge slab of beef with a tablespoon or two of vegetables on the side. That's just the way that Texans ate in the days when I was young. Now, I use meat in casseroles, stir fry meals, or serve us the proper serving (about the size of a deck of cards). It’s helping with my grocery bill, my weight, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I’m helping the environment as well.
Less demand = less production = less cow farts.
There is no nice way to say it.

In the Produce Section of the store, I'm changing habits as well. I'd love to buy only organic vegetables, but sometimes the cost is astronomical. Also, some of that organic produce is trucked to Texas from California. Which is more harmful -- the chemicals or the gasoline emissions? I have no clue.

My solution is to buy organic produce that is in season and locally grown. If I can't find it at the grocery store, I go to the Farmer's Market during summer months and pray that the farmer didn't douse the produce with pesticides. I'm also trying to grow a few of my own vegetables! I've got tomato plants in pots on the porch that already have tiny tomatoes. I can almost taste them now.

Rest assured that I avoid those "gassy" vegetables like cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and asparagus! Far be it from me to add to the greenhouse gasses!

Throughout the rest of the store, I'm concentrating on packaging. I'm learning to "pre-cycle." Thorne makes a good case for it in her Trash Thursday post, The Poop on Plastic. Although we recycle, our city's collection service doesn't take the thin plastics. I'm searching for products with less packaging (when I can find it). I'm astounded by the packaging on paper towels!

OK, I know that if I were really serious about going green I wouldn't even be looking at paper towels ... I'm slowing down on my use of them, but I can't give up the convenience yet. Some paper towel brands wrap each roll in plastic, and then encase all twelve rolls in another yard or two of plastic wrap. I promise I avoid those brands.

If I had grandchildren, I'd recycle those plastic milk jugs to make them an igloo! It would be a much tinier igloo, because we don't drink that much milk.

I also make certain to carry my cloth bags with me to the store. Friends tell me that they often forget to take them. I've trained myself by writing "grocery bags" at the top of every grocery list. I also keep one cloth bag stashed right by my car seat, so that I can't miss seeing it when I get out of the car.

Although these changes might not seem like much, in fact they seem like baby steps, I've convinced myself that every little change I make is one for a better planet.

© Shelly Tucker, 2009

Comments

[Karina]

I totally agree Shelly, baby steps count. I too am trying to focus on my grocery shopping habits as a method of lessening my carbon footprint. I'm not quite as advanced as you are yet (even smaller baby steps??) but I'm doing the cloth bags and have stopped buying bottled water and bought a "water purifier" instead.

I also started eating the right sized serving of meat a while back for health reasons, but am glad to know I'm also helping the environment by doing so. Go me! ;-)