How do the decisions made by grocers impact the overall sustainability of your food choices? What can we do to increase the sustainability of our day-to-day grocery shopping?
- Locally-grown produce requires less transportation from farm to table – this saves energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Buy bulk foods whenever possible--bulk foods have less packaging and generate less waste after consumption.
- Diversion of packaging is also of critical importance. Grocery stores use large amounts of cardboard. At the Mollie Stones in San Mateo County, for instance, they recycle 18 tons of cardboard each week!
- Finally, a sustainable grocery should offer reusable tote bags instead of paper or plastic.
For a good explanation of how a grocery can be a responsible, sustainable place to get your food, visit.
Take Action:
- Use your reusable grocery bags! Almost every grocery store offers them at low cost.
- Advocate for a plastic bag ban in your city or town
- Look for the “As Fresh As It Gets” logo on the produce you buy. This signifies that your produce was grown locally in San Mateo County.
- Buy a “Local Food Wheel” which will guide you in your efforts to buy local.
Photo:
A reusable grocery bag from Mollie Stones
The most important things a grocery store can do:
1. Stop selling fruit and baked items in those SUV-style plastic containers
2. Offer donation tokens (for local non-profits) to those who bring in reusable bags, plastic produce bags, and reusable / refillable containers
3. Sell locally grown produce
4. Sell meat and fish products in wrapped paper, not in styrofoam containers
5. Buy packaged goods from responsible suppliers
