Every day we do the “green” thing if it is convenient. We put a plastic bottle in the recycling bin – if there happens to be one available, we choose paper instead of plastic at the grocery store, maybe you even cycle to work on a nice day instead of driving. But what if there was more that we could do that would impact our everyday life. Food is a necessity for every person on this earth. With so many convenient stores in every town, it is easy to buy all kinds of prepackaged goods week after week, adding to the production of non-environmentally friendly packaging, and filling up those landfills. If you are looking for a way to cut down on this, saving both money and the environment, there are some great and easy ways to do so. Here are just a few of them.
1. Keep a Food Storage
This is the first and most useful tip. Food storage is brilliant for a number of reasons. Not only do you save money by keeping a backstock of important items, but you will save on trips to the grocery store, prevent excess waste, be prepared in case of an emergency, and have some delicious meals on reserve. There really are no reasons not to do this.
2. Look into Green Storage Options
Think about how many grocery bags you go through a week. Now think about those clear bags you put your vegetables in at the store. What about those Ziplocs, styrofoam containers, paper lunch bags, tin foil and so on. If you think about it, there are ways in which you can eliminate each one of these things. All it takes is some reusable containers, and you are good to go. You can even get green, reusable ice packs, and mesh bags for your vegetables.
3. Use Clean Energy
Have you ever thought about how you are impacting the environment when you prepare your food? There are a lot of options that are more energy efficient than the regular utilities, and they are readily available. Start looking into solar power, for example. It may cost a lot to fix your entire house with solar panels, but there are cheaper, portable options that you can use as alternatives, especially for inclusion in your food storage.
4. Start a Garden
Growing your own garden is a great, green, money-saving way to have fun! If you have ever even thought about growing your own garden, now is the time to do it. Producing your own fruits and vegetables means that you will not be reliant on stores and other sources for your food – and independence can be awfully liberating.
5. Save those Leftovers
It is unbelievable just how many people just throw away their excess food. There is nothing wrong with having a little bit too much – we’ve all made a recipe that’s just a bit too big before – but why would you throw it out, when you can save it and eat it tomorrow for lunch?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Flynn is a freelance writer and expert in long-term food storage and building a long-term emergency food supply.
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