Shopping Green

Adhering to the plans for this part of the Plastic Monster Project, last time I went shopping, I made extra sure to only purchase products packaged in non-plastic materials. Although I couldn't avoid plastic altogether, I managed to cut down on my consumption quite a bit. Here are a few pointers for anyone inclined to follow in my footsteps, and reduce their eco-footprint:

1. You can find most cooking ingredients in cans. It isn't all that hard to find beans, soup, and vegetables in metal cans. Cans may pose some health hazards, for instance, their linings may contain BPA. But in terms of staying green by reducing plastic garbage, cans are the much better option.

 2. It usually isn't that hard to find alternative, eco-friendly packaging for beverages, like juice and milk. Although buying liquids in cartons usually isn't that much more expensive than buying them in plastic, and exception is made with milk: Milk, bought in bags, is quite a bit cheaper than milk bought in a carton.

 3. Buying in bulk is always the best option when it comes to the environment. Buying in bulk uses hardly any packaging, as long as the store lets you bring in your own reusable bags to fill, and it's a lot less expensive than most food. You can find basically anything in bulk - from rice, to nuts, to snack foods.