With so many choices of where and what to buy, shopping for produce is the one of the best ways that we can incorporate green choices into our everyday lives. By following these five easy steps, your produce shopping routine will be green in no time!
1. Green Your List
Before you even leave your home, the first step to being a green shopper is knowing how much you need to buy. By carefully taking stock of what you typically buy and how much you’re going to need, your grocery list will be as efficient as possible. With a clear vision of what will be needed for the days ahead, food waste will be minimized and the green benefits of your shopping will be maximized.
2. Find the best place to buy
While it’s important to buy the right amounts of food, it’s also crucial to think about where you’re doing your shopping. Instead of visiting your supermarket where produce might be shipped in from halfway across the world, in many cases a local farmers market is the greener option. Consider which will most decrease your environmental impact before making the trip.
3. Green Your Trip
Third, consider the environmental effects of how you’re getting to the place you’re doing your shopping. Could the same trip be accomplished with a short walk or on a bike? Is public transportation available? Is there a store or farmers market closer to your home that will reduce the carbon footprint of each trip you make? Ask yourself these questions before jumping in the car.
4. Buy Organic, Buy Local
When it comes to actually selecting your fruits and vegetables, there are many ways to keep your shopping as green as possible. First, opt for organic fruits and vegetables to cut out the use of pesticides. Second, buying only seasonal produce helps ensure that your produce comes with minimal transportation costs.
5. Proper Storage
The last step to becoming a greener shopper is knowing how to best store your produce. Storing produce properly makes sure that fruits and vegetables retain maximum storage life and don’t have to be thrown away. Many fruits ripen faster on the counter than in the refrigerator and different produce requires different levels of moisture. Be sure to store each accordingly to reduce food waste to help keep your food storage habits as green as possible.
Warren Howe is a fruit and vegetable fanatic and writer for Clearly Fresh Bags. Clearly Fresh Bags are produce storage bags that keep fruits and vegetables fresher up to 50% longer. Visit our website for more great tips on how to store fruits and vegetables.
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