By John Chappell •
April 9, 2009
A recent study by Whole Foods Market estimates that reusable bag usage has increased by 300% in the year since it eliminated plastic bags at all of its stores. The company estimated that 150 million bags have been kept out of landfills over the twelve month period.
Whole Foods Market made the announcement last year that they would stop using plastic bags company-wide starting on Earth Day 2008. Since this announcement, public sentiment has been moving in the direction of eventual elimination of plastic bags at all grocery and retail stores, and municipalities (including the city of San Francisco) have begun outlawing or taxing plastic bag usage within city limits.
By Katy Farber •
February 4, 2009
A few days ago I read an article on Mothering Magazine’s newsletter about eating naturally while spending less.
This article is important to me because we (as are most Americans) are trying to spend less at the grocery store (or co-op). But we also want to buy food that is safe for our kids (organic) and limit our environmental impact.
The article shares some simple but effective tips that hit home with me. For example, this one. We spend gobs of money on organic cereal, and I could pretty easily make up some tasty granola (nut free) for my girls. I hope I haven’t missed the window for them to like it– they are used to the Kashi brand we regularly buy.
By Derek Markham •
December 23, 2008
Food prices are predicted to rise again next year, the economy is tanking, and businesses are looking at layoffs of some employees. With a recession looming, many families are struggling financially, tightening up their budgets and cutting back on unnecessary expenses. That doesn’t have to mean eating low-quality food.
Families can still eat well and buy organic and natural foods, even in a recession, but it takes some new skills. Some of these skills aren’t so obvious, so I put together my top ten tips to help your budget, with a focus on grocery shopping. Even if you only use some of them, I think you’ll see a significant change in your finances.
By Gennefer Snowfield •
December 7, 2008
One of the biggest areas in which you can reduce spending — especially in households with children – is right in your own kitchen. Here are some helpful tips for meal planning, food preparation, and grocery shopping that will reduce the strain on your wallet while offering some significant health benefits to boot.
Put on your Planning Cap
Planning your meals at least a week ahead will drastically reduce waste, and keep you from the trap of randomly tossing items into your grocery cart. Figure out what your menu will be and buy only those key items. And be sure to stock up on non-perishable goods that have longer a shelf life so that you’re armed with the right ingredients for each meal — dry and canned foods (rice, pasta, tomatoes) and powdered milk.
By Max Lindberg •
September 5, 2007
I couldn’t pass this one up. Reuben Miller sent this to me from his Stumble site and it just seemed like too good an idea to pass up.
Imagine, driving, or riding, or whatever your shopping cart to the grocery store, detach the bike and wheel the cart into the store. Once at the checkout, no need for bags: just load the groceries into the cart, attach it to your bike
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