Here are some of the recommendations we have run across; let us know if you find others.
- Avoid disposable products. Choose products with minimal or no packaging.
- Buy in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging and to save money.
- Buy products which are available in refillable or reusable packs.
- Use your own shopping bags or a multi-use bag instead of plastic bags. If you can carry it, carry it. Avoid plastic bags as much as possible.
- Buy products packaged in material that can be recycled.
- Buy products packaged in material that contains high recycled content. "Buy recycled" helps close the loop of recycling.
- Shop where containers can be refilled or returned (i.e. re-filling your gallon water bottles at the local grocery store or re-filling a jar with bulk nuts)
- Ditch the paper towels and napkins.
- The paper industry is the number-one consumer of fresh water and the number-one industrial cause of deforestation. Do your part by using cloth napkins, dishtowels and sponges in the kitchen and dining room. Convert unmendable clothes to rags for spills that are especially messy and you hesitate to use the nice towels you "save for company." If you absolutely have to have them, get 100% recycled content paper towels, and compost the ones you use for food spills.
Additional Resources
- Greenhome.com offers a lot of products, including kitchen supplies and apparel that are all environmentally friendly.
- Sustainlane.com is an online community where you can research and read reviews for green products and businesses.
- CNN also has a special report on their website about Buying Green and some articles for consumers.
