Dahlia Breeze

I went grocery shopping this weekend and it occurred to me how environmentally destructive this one errand is.

I had to drive to my local grocery store and depending on what I need to buy and where I need to go this could be a 5 to 10 mile one-way trip, just for the grocery store.

Everything is in plastics; plastic bags and containers all of which get thrown away as soon as they are consumed.

And what about all the toxic chemicals that I brought home because I thought they smelled nice; air fresheners, laundry detergent, house hold cleaners. You know those “pretty” smells are all created from chemicals to mask the true chemical smell.

This is a bad habit and it needs to be broken.

1. Bring your own bags - Paper? Plastic? “Neither, thanks”. And hand them your reusable bags. If we all made it our goal to do this we would prevent millions of plastic bags being used every day. We would prevent millions of bags from littering our parks, rivers, lakes and oceans, polluting our soil and ground water.

2. Even for your produce - Yes, even those wimpy little bags need to go. They still use a ton of oil to make and are causing just as much damage. Reusable bags for produce

3. Buy less plastic - Instead, go for glass and metal which can be fully recycled locally, depending where you live. Plastics are not fully recyclable and in most cases have to be shipped out to be recycled.

4. Buy organic products - When possible, buy organic products. Organic farmers must meet strict government regulations and most organic products will use recycled packaging.

5. Buy locally farmed food - By supporting local farmers we can help lower the chemical impact on the environment of traditionally farmed foods which use chemical pesticides. We’ll get healthier foods that have not been grown on over farmed land where vitamins and nutrients are lacking. We will also keep money in the community and improve the local economy.

6. Buy and eat less meat - Raising cattle and other livestock has an incredibly large impact on our environment. They generate more greenhouse gases (CO2) than all transportation combined and are a primary cause of land and water degradation. If you do buy meat, purchase organic, free-range meats. These animals have been raised without antibiotics and hormones and have been fed organic feed. Ranchers also have to meet the USDA standards for organic foods.

7. Use less disposable items - Use a towel instead of paper towels, use regular plates, instead of paper or plastic plates, use real forks, spoons and knives instead of plastic ones. The goal here is to create less waste.

8. Avoid toxic chemicals - There are natural ways to clean your home and laundry without exposing your family and pets to the dangerous chemicals. Air fresheners are included in this and are not a necessity in our homes.

9. Buy plants and trees - Plants will naturally clean the air in your home and produce clean oxygen for you and your family. Planting a tree can help reduce your carbon footprint.

10. Walk - Walk as often as you can. It’s healthy for you and will keep your not so environmentally friendly car in the garage.

I know this isn’t an all-inclusive list but hopefully it will get us all off to a good start.
Do you have any ideas I can add to the list?

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