Good morning and Happy Thursday! I hope you guys are doing well so far today! I’m excited to be teaming up with Whole Foods Market on today’s blog post and chat about simple things we can all do to “green our routines” and be a little more environmentally-friendly.
Below you will find six simple ways to green your routine and there’s also a great giveaway at the bottom of this blog post that I think my fellow Whole Foods Market lovers will enjoy!
Six Simple Ways To Green Your Routine at Whole Foods
- Purchase Frozen Fish and Buy Sustainable Catch
As someone who loves almost any kind of seafood and prepares fish for dinner at least once a week, purchasing frozen and sustainably-caught seafood is a big one for me! While fresh seafood must often travel long distances by air, frozen seafood can make its way to retailers via a more energy-efficient mode of transportation. An added bonus is that modern flash-freezing means consumers still get high-quality seafood, often for less money than fresh seafood.
Additionally when purchasing wild-caught seafood, select options that are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or rated “Green” or “Yellow” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program and the Safina Center to ensure that your choice is sustainable.
- Bring Your Own Bags
I have a feeling a lot of you already do this (at least I hope you do!), but bringing your own reusable grocery bags to the store with you is such a simple way be a little more environmentally friendly. Plus, many Whole Foods Market locations offer discounts for customers who bring their own bags into the store! Win, win.
Fun fact: It’s estimated that Whole Foods has kept more than 150 million plastic bags out of landfills since eliminating plastic grocery bags from their stores in 2008.
- Choose Greener Cleaners
I started to pay more attention to the type of cleaners we use at home when I was pregnant and am definitely more cognizant of our cleaning supplies now that we have a baby at home. Whole Foods Market’s Eco-Scale Rating System mandates full ingredient disclosure on all household cleaning products (<— something that is not require by US law) in an effort to help shoppers identify a product’s environmental impact though a color-coded rating.
The orange rating is the minimum rating, noting that products with an orange rating do not have ingredients with significant environmental or safety concerns (such as phosphates or chlorine). Yellow-rated products meet even higher standards and green-labeled products are the top tier!
- Select In-Season Produce
This is another tip that is both great for flavor and for saving energy and resources! By shopping in season, you’re more likely to save money and enjoy deliciously flavorful produce while also purchasing food that has been harvested using less energy and resources during a time when it grows naturally.
- Shop In Bulk
Oooh the bulk foods section! I don’t know what it is about this section of Whole Foods, but I’m always drawn to it first. I love trying new foods and appreciate the way the bulk bins allow me to shop for the exact amount I want to use. They’re a great way to save money (I love buying chia seeds, nuts and nutritional yeast in bulk) and also cut down on materials and waste.
- Vote With Your Dollars
I cannot remember where I first heard this tidbit of advice, but it’s something I think about regularly when I am shopping. Whatever you purchase at the grocery store is essentially a “vote” telling brands that you like what they’re doing and want more of it. I would obviously prefer to see store shelves packed with food that is nutritious and produced with sustainability in mind and feel that by gravitating toward this type of food when I shop, I play a very small part in keeping the wheel running and encouraging the production of more responsibly-produced food.
Whole Foods Market Gift Card Giveaway
And now for that giveaway I promised you at the beginning of this post! One PBF reader will win a $100 gift card to Whole Foods Market. Sweet, right!?
To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment on this blog post telling me one thing you do on a regular basis to “green your routine” or tell me one of your favorite things to buy at Whole Foods.
I will randomly select a winner tomorrow morning.
Good luck!!
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We love whole foods! It’s the only place I’ve been able to find bacon with no added sugar. We are great about using our own reusable bags and we try to walk to the farmers market or store whenever possible!
I bring reusable shopping bag to shop green
I try really hard to pay close attention to how much food I’m purchasing / cooking. I really aim to reduce any food waste and I’m probably the biggest advocate for leftovers for lunch!
I grow veggies to eat more fresh veggies daily
reusable bags or rep. packaging when shopping , I like to shop for non dairy items at Whole Foods it can often be cheaper AND there is more variety than our local chain grocers has 🙂
After reading this post I realized I am doing a lot more “green” than I thought. I buy bulk, and use green products and bring my own bags but I need to get better about that as recently I’ve slacked. I also use glass containers for packing lunches instead of plastic bags and I use washcloths to wipe my baby clean after she eats instead of baby wipes.
I recycle and use reusable bags. Recently I discovered the bulk bins as well!
Reusable bags! For groceries and other shopping, reusable mesh produce bags, and even reusable zip bags for snacks! They have made a huge difference in how much plastic we use. I don’t had a Whole Foods super close by so whenever I make a trip, I make sure to be there around meal time so I can take advantage of their amazing hot bar and salad bar! Yum!
I walk to Whole Foods most days to buy lunch, and I bring my own bag. They have the best burrito bar!!
always reuse Ziploc bags, plastic forks, plates etc, and recycle everything we can!
I reuse my plastic bags and use organic cleaning supplies in my home. I love all the bulk food at whole foods as well. 🙂
i try to reuse plastic bags, for all the garbage bags in my house and at the supermarket
I buy tons of their cantina style salsa. Put it on everything from eggs to salads
I am a recycling nut and we use the reusable bags.
I buy in bulk! I love their bulk raw macadamia nuts!
We recycle pretty much all that we can & we are starting to grow our own veggies. We also stopped buying bottled water (thankfully we live in a place with good, safe tap water!)
Cacao nibs from the bulk bin at Whole Foods are my favorite! Inevitably the bag ends up on the seat next to me when I drive home as my snack!
I use eco, green laundry detergent and cleaners, and always recycle the best I can. I love buying the 365 organic almond milk from Whole Foods. I just think its so delicious.
I always have reusable bags in my car – I love not going through a ton of plastic bags, and I also think it’s just a lot easier to transport groceries that way. I even keep a foldable one in my purse for “emergencies”! The Whole Foods stores near me stock the BEST hummus I’ve ever had, and it’s a huge tub for only $6! And it’s made by a local vendor. I always stock up on that!
I do all my laundry on the cold cycle. This helps decrease my footprint a lot.