One goal this past year was to reduce our output of recyclable material. Reducing is the first and most important of the three environmental R's. I worry that what I recycle might actually be thrown into the land fill despite my best effort. I saw this video recently via Fake Plastic Fish and encourage anyone interested in reducing your plastic consumption to watch the video. With two children adopted from China, it was especially poignant and urgent to me.
The video isn't coming through to Google Reader. Please pop over to the blog. It's worth it.
I haven't been a mainstream grocery store shopper for some time so many of these changes although recent were fairly easy. We have a wonderful food co-op near our house so all of this is possible. If you live in a big city, you have to read this post about living green in a small Oklahoma town. You will count your blessings all the way to your local Whole Foods.
This is a photo of how my market basket looks on the day I food shop.
(Not the best photo but functional)
I purchase the following in bulk reusing the same bags, bottles, cartons, and jars each week. I reuse the wax liner bags from cereal boxes for produce bags. They are very easy to wash for reuse. I also bring my own bags.
Peanut butter
Pancake mix
Rice
Quinoa
Eggs
Fig Cookies
Maple Syrup
Castile soap for dish washing
Lentils
Beans
Almonds
Sunflower Seeds
Raisins
Coffee
Shampoo
Popcorn
Sugar
Flour
I plan to start buying
Oil
Tea
We no longer buy cereal in boxes and have drastically reduced our soy milk consumption so that has also eliminated a lot of waste. I still buy too many condiments, POM juice, a more than occasional bottle of soda, frozen berries, apple sauce, jam, and spinach in those one pound boxes. This summer I am going to try and make jam and apple sauce. I also want to U-Pick as many berries as my freezer will hold reusing plastic bags from rice cakes and other convenience foods.
So what do you think about this system? Do you have any suggestions for me. I just started doing this two months ago. I am amazed and embarrassed that I didn't start doing it sooner. It really is easy.