Going Green: Earth Day Tips for Your Next Grocery Trip

This post has been sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market in honor of Earth Day on April 22nd. All opinions are 100% our own!
  

Since 1970, Earth Day (April 22) has inspired generations to work towards preserving our planet. And while making an entire household “green” can feel overwhelming, you can take baby steps simply with your next grocery store visit. Here are 6 ways I can encourage you to “Go Green” this Earth Day:  

Choose Where to Spend Money

Shop in stores that demonstrate care for the planet. How do you know this is part of their mission? Go online to read their policies regarding company practices and foods sources. On their responsible retailing page Sprouts Farmers Market states, “We look to partner with suppliers that align with our culture of valuing environmental systems, respecting human rights, and protecting animal welfare. We encourage our suppliers to advance responsible sourcing practices and hold them to high standards.”

Menu Plan With Leftovers

Instead of tossing leftovers in the trash, consider recipes that can be made into new meals. Not only are you reducing waste, you’re saving time. One of the simplest meals my toddler loves (currently) are pancake sandwiches, which means two pancakes from yesterday’s breakfast with almond butter spread in the middle. 

Buy Bulk 

Consumers can save an average of 89 percent by purchasing organic bulk foods versus packaged. Besides being kind to your wallet, buying bulk also reduces the amount of product packaging going into landfills. A great way to store bulk food is to reuse empty containers of non-bulk foods like glass pasta sauce and applesauce jars. Never shopped bulk before? Sprouts Farmers Market was kind enough to put together a how-to video you can watch here. 

Embrace Cloth

Yes… paper towels make things easier (I am guilty of this convenience), but consider how many you throw away each meal, cleaning the kitchen, etc. It all has to go somewhere. Treat yourself this weekend to cloth napkins and dishtowels. If paper towels are necessary, purchase those made with recycled paper. 

Invest In Stainless Steel Water Bottles

Besides the immeasurable waste plastic bottles create, have you ever noticed a strange taste when sipping from one heated by the sun? That means chemicals in the plastic have leached into your water. Not good. Consider purchasing either glass or stainless steel water bottles. And remember water fountains when out and about, both for drinking and refilling. And if you absolutely have to use plastic bottles for an event, set up a recycling bin for guests (BTW The Atlantic has this post on what happens to recycled bottles). 

Bring Your Own Bag

Seriously, it makes a difference. During a recent big box store checkout, I noticed the cashier was placing only one to two items in each plastic bag. At the rate he was going my bag collection was enough to make a parachute. If I had remembered my own bags, this wouldn’t have happened. And using canvas bags means they can be washed when an inevitable spill occurs. Also, if you want to cut down on plastic bags even more, consider investing in reusable produce bags.

To encourage you shop “Earth Friendly,” Sprouts Farmers Market is giving 1 reader a chance to win a $25 Gift Card to use at any Sprouts location! To enter, simply leave a comment below with why you love to shop at Sprouts Farmers Market and we’ll select 1 winner next Friday, April 29 at 12pm CST. Good Luck! 

To learn more about Sprouts Farmers Market, visit their website OR on Facebook to find coupons, weekly fliers, and recipes!

Do you have tips for Earth friendly grocery shopping?  Please share below!