by Aja Tahari Marsh

Sometime last year I read this fact on the wall at a grocery store: “Every year the U.S. produces enough plastic film [in the form of plastic grocery and produce bags, etc.] to shrink wrap the state of Texas.” Quite frankly, that freaked me out. While it’s not exactly surprising, to hear it put that way got me thinking about ways that we can be “greener” shoppers.

We are a culture obsessed with over-packaging: Everything comes pre-packaged for our convenience, in tissue paper, a box, and a bag with more tissue paper. We haul around over-sized carrier bags from shops, each yielding small items that could easily fit into one bag. And what happens when we get these things home? We throw them out, or maybe reuse them once or twice.

In our post- An Inconvenient Truth days, it’s especially chic and sexy to be green, so use that social trendiness as your inspiration to incorporate more Earth-friendly habits into your routine…

Bring Your Own Bags

Reuse the bags you’ve hoarded over the past few months, or purchase reusable bags made of canvas or other material. Most grocery stores sell inexpensive bags near the checkout now, or you can have some fun shopping around for a tote that reflects your personality. Keep your bags in your car or day bag so you always have them handy. And even if you’re just quickly popping into a store, refuse the extra packaging when possible—stores always appreciate you saving them time and money by not wasting another bag or box. And if you’re just going from store to car to house anyway, the bags are hardly necessary.

Web sites like Ecobags.com and Reusablebags.com sell a lot of neat bags made from recycled materials and organic cotton and hemp.

Don’t Bag Your Produce

For a product that does not biodegrade and is not commonly recyclable, we certainly abuse plastic bags. Several countries across the world have banned their use (including China, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Taiwan) or imposed per-bag taxes (Ireland). Plastic bag waste, and plastic waste in general, has detrimental effects on wildlife and the environment; plus there’s the added problem of the petroleum used to manufacture (and import/export/ship) the plastics. Many produce items come wrapped in their own packaging, courtesy of Mother Nature. So, with the exception perhaps of fragile, wet, or especially dirty produce, do your best not to put everything into plastic bags. It’s simply not necessary for the short trip from the market to your kitchen, where the bags will only be discarded.

In cases where the customers weigh and price their own produce, I like to print the stickers and adhere them all to one plastic bag or a piece of paper for the cashier to ring up as I check out. Having done this several times, I have been commended on the idea by the cashiers.

Ask for Support and Be Encouraging

While cities like San Francisco and Austin have imposed mandatory or voluntary no-plastic bag actions, you can make a difference in your hometown or local shops by talking to store owners and managers about reducing their waste, recycling, and encouraging customers to bring their own bags or to use fewer bags. These are the people who have the power to make a difference, and one of their main motives is to keep the customers happy by giving them what they demand. And by encouraging your friends and family to be greener shoppers, the word will spread further than your initial reach, and as far as shopping green goes, that can only be good news.

Aja Tahari Marsh is a member of the New York City Incubator and a natural foods personal chef and caterer. She recently launched a healthy lifestyle and greening blog at www.stemandleaf.net and can also be found online at  www.ajataharimarsh.com.