Think Green at the Grocery to Make Your Household Friendlier to the Environment

DETROIT _ Paper or plastic? If that’s the only issue that crosses your mind at the grocery store, you have some catching up to do. As concerns about the environment have gone mainstream, consumers are finding more and more ways to turn a typical grocery trip into an eco-friendly experience.

Getting started on your Saturday run to the store doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Experts in green living say taking small steps is a great beginning.

“It’s not about going home today and trying to change everything or opening your cupboards and saying, `I’ve done it all wrong,’” says Sara Snow, host of “Get Fresh with Sara Snow” on the Discovery Home channel, which is relaunching as Planet Green early next year.

“It’s all about trying one thing. Just try one thing this week, try another thing next week and baby-step your way to a more natural way of living.”

Here are eight ideas on how to make your weekend grocery run a little friendlier to the Earth.

Try a reusable bag. Opponents of plastic bags are piling up almost as rapidly as the non-biodegradable totes themselves. A site called Reusablebags.com estimates the average family gathers 60 bags in four trips for groceries.

“People have seen the sheer accumulation of plastic sacks in our trees, in the garbage, everywhere. The sheer ugliness of that phenomenon is really encouraging people … to bring their own bags,” says Paul McRandle, deputy editor of the Green Guide, a publication and Web site from the National Geographic Society.

Reusable bags are a hot new item and fashion trend, but they’re not commonplace yet in many cities. A simple way to start is with one bag, like Linda Consiglio, 56, of Plymouth, Mass., who keeps a Land s’ End tote given to her by her sister in her coat closet. “It’s one of those spur- of-the-moment things, like with an umbrella,” says Consiglio. “You always try to remember to bring it.” Also, keep in mind that paper and plastic bags are reusable, if you save them at home and actually go to the trouble of using them again.

Think reduced packaging. In today’s rushed world, grab-and-go snack packs are sometimes a necessity. But saving time now can fill a waste dump later. “Think about how much packaging went into all those little bags of chips instead of one big bag,” says Snow. “It’s terrible, and it goes beyond food.”

One way around the packaging problem is buying in bulk, advises McRandle, who adds it also is a way to save money. If bulk isn’t your thing, try to become more aware of packaging choices in general: Couldn’t you buy a regular-size bag of cookies and divvy them up into snack sizes at home?

Then again, won’t that create another problem with sandwich bags? Not if you view those bags differently. “They’re not necessarily bad if they’re reused,” says McRandle. “If you can get the kids to bring them home instead of throwing them away, there’s no reason not to, especially for cookies or something dry that can be shaken out.”

Consider alternatives to bottled water. Americans have a love affair with bottled water. They drank more than 8 billion gallons of bottled water last year and purchased more of it than any other beverage besides soda, according to Time magazine.

Know another drink that tastes good? Tap water. “Our water that we have in (the Detroit) region is a Top 10 for water quality in the United States, so we really should be drinking our water out of our faucets,” says Oakland County, Mich., Sierra Club conservation organizer Melissa Damaschke.

Even if you need to keep bottled water around for emergencies, think about toting tap for everyday use. Fill up a reusable bottle and refrigerate it the night before or add ice to give it that cold snap of bottled water.

Buy local, buy organic. Buying local can mean a fun trip to the farmer s market and the chance to eat fresh, delicious produce. Plus, it helps the local economy and addresses issues like the energy needed to haul food over vast distances, Snow says. The challenge is to make the most of whatever is in season.

Buying organic is just as crucial, Snow argues, because it means less exposure to pesticides. “There’s this whole thing now about local versus organic, which is more important, and in my opinion, they’re both important,” she says.

Snow, who grew up outside Ann Arbor, Mich., and lives in Indianapolis, also suggests growing vegetables in your backyard. “If you have kids, it’s a great way to teach them a tomato doesn’t come from a can in a store,” she says.

Read labels. Louise Berg, 36, of Northville, Mich., has two daughters, Charlotte, 2, and Fiona, 6. She ha s noticed that her older daughter seems sensitive to preservatives in food. “My main focus is the health of my children,” she says. “I try to buy them whole foods and things without preservatives.”

She’s part of the growing group of label readers who are out to avoid chemicals, additives and other ingredients they don’t recognize. Less processing leaves a lighter footprint on the environment, but it also means more actual cooking, which can be hard for time-pressed people.

Try buying enough vegetables, beans or meat to make one homemade dish a week, McRandle suggests. That way, you’ll have leftovers and avoid burnout from vowing to cook every meal from scratch.

Bike to the store. Pam Murray, 46, of Pleasant Ridge, Mich., spent the summer riding to grocery stores and food markets in Ferndale, Mich., and Royal Oak, Mich. Her son and daughter ride bikes, too, and her husband, an anesthesiologist at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, bikes to work. Not counting vacations, she got by on filling up the car about three times this summer.

Two people on a bike can carry home three or four bags of groceries using carriers and backpacks, according to Murray, who saves up a list for runs to Costco for items like paper goods.

The weather can be iffy in the fall, but on nice days, a bike ride to the store is an enjoyable _ and health-conscious _ way to give the car a rest. Murray, a former triathlete, considers it a creative way to squeeze in a workout.

Try gentler cleaning products. Choosing eco-friendly cleaners cuts down on your exposure to harsh chemicals, some of which can harm ecosystems. Green cleaning products are especially worth sampling for households with children or anyone with asthma or other breathing problems.

A green multi purpose product cuts down on the number of products you need to buy overall. Better yet, look into basic ingredients that double as cleaners, like vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice and baking soda. They’re a cheap and old-fashioned method of tackling ordinary grime.

Talk to your grocer. Trendy chains like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have a selection that attracts some green shoppers, as do local markets that focus on produce. But major retailers like Meijer and Kroger are going greener, too, and paying attention to things like energy efficiency and organic foods.

Whichever stores you prefer, talk to the managers about what’s new in their policies and let them know which products and issues are important to you. The more active shoppers become, the more “it will help them feel more connected with the food they’re eating and the community they’re involved with,” McRandle said.

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Go online to learn how to shop, eat, clean and live greener

www.greenerChoices.org. Tons of information on products for a better planet. The site was launched two years ago by Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

www.localharvest.org. Go here to find farmers markets and family farms, plus restaurants and organic products.

www.greenguide.com. It’s a one-stop source for consumers interested in home tips, product reviews and general advice on green living. It was acquired in March by the National Geographic Society.

www.treehugger.com. A popular Web destination for green news, ideas and products. Discovery Communications recently made a deal to buy it as a complement to its new cable offshoot, Planet Green, which launches early in 2008.

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