Let's talk about packaging. If you take a look in your trash can and recycling bin, I would bet that around 75% of the waste is related to packaging. It's something we can't get away from, but we can make smarter choices about it. There's a basic hierarchy of good and bad packaging.
The obvious best choice is no packaging. This is kind of hard to do, but there are a few things. First, as described in a previous post, you can buy things from the bulk bin at the store and reuse the baggies or other reusable container. Also from the previous post, reusable shopping bags will eliminate "plastic or paper" question as you'll need neither. Eating fresh food vs. processed food will reduce overall packaging, and it's better for you, too.
Next, something biodegradable is good, although that may be hard to find or identify.
Recyclable packaging is next. When buying things in plastic, try to avoid things without the recycling numbers. Cardboard is recyclable (and it actually isn't too bad on the biodegradable scale).
Very last on the list and the worst thing is styrofoam. Styrofoam takes hundreds or even thousands of years to break down, and recycling it usually isn't an option. Even though it often has recycling numbers on it, most recycling places don't take styrofoam. Therefore, it should be avoided as much as possible. For example, rather than buying meat on a styrofoam plate wrapped in plastic, go to the meat counter and get it in butcher paper. Also, encourage your favorite restaurants to make better choices. Encourage furniture manufacturers to use cardboard instead of styrofoam for protective packaging. For me, we had a Five Guys Burgers and Fries open up close to my house. Their burgers and fries are great, but for some reason they serve the fries in a styrofoam cup. I just wrote to the corporate office and told them I won't be going back to their store until they stopped putting their fries in styrofoam.
Also discussed in a previous post, buying in bulk will reduce the quantity of the waste due to packaging. For example, instead of buying individual serving sizes of things like yogurt or pudding, but a larger container and send the kids off to school with their yogurt in a reusable container. Also, consider reusing the larger containers. My boys have a few nice tubs from Nancy's yogurt that they like to put cars and rocks in. :)
Finally, try not to buy stuff that is ridiculously overpackaged. Remember when CDs first came out and they came in the giant cardboard boxes?
So, what we've done is literally looked in the trash can and recycling bin to see what we can do differently to reduce the impact.
Any comments?
Jason
