Earth Day is almost here (it’s on Saturday, April 22) and we wanted to share some ways you can save the Earth and (in some cases) save some money while you do it. Here are some quick tips on shopping greener and saving some green in the process.
Shop in bulk: When you buy bulk foods, you can purchase as much or as little as you need. Plus, you can use your own containers. Because bulk foods are often cheaper than their packaged counterparts, you’ll save a pretty penny to boot. Buying in bulk also reduces both packaging and food waste.
Choose eco-friendly products: Look for packaging that is biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable. This helps keep packaging out of landfills. Some products we sell have packaging that can be returned to be used again.
Replant your scraps: You can regrow some produce by planting the root ends. Get another harvest and save money! Good veggies to try replanting and regrowing are lettuce, green onions, and potatoes.
Grow your own: You can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by growing your own food. (Check out just how much at this savings calculator.) The Co-op makes it easy to get your garden growing with a large selection of seeds from Seeds Savers Exchange and Garden-in-a-Can from Back to the Roots.
Compost your waste: Composting your food scraps gives you nutrients to add to your garden beds while reducing the waste you send to the landfill. Besides traditional compost pails, we also now stock Green Lid fully compostable bins. No more messy, leaky, smelly compost – you compost the whole bin!
Bring your own bags and containers: Sure, it can be hard to remember to bring your own bags, but it can pay to use them, literally! We pay five cents per bag or container used, so using your own can really add up. Don’t have your own containers or bags yet? We offer a variety of organic cotton bags, Chico Bags (they’re packable!), fair-trade African market baskets, glass bottles, glass jars, and muslin bags.