Green Your Grocery-Store Trip: Frequent the Produce Aisle

The eco-impact of trips to the grocery store can really add up. This week’s tips look at ways to go easy on the planet when it’s time to stock the fridge and pantry.

Tip #2: Avoid packaged foods.

Most markets are filled with processed and packaged foods. Think of the freezer section or the aisles lined with chips and crackers and cookies: It’s one packaged item after another. Of course, it’s unreasonable to expect people to cut out packaged foods altogether, but you'd be wise to spend more time in the produce section. Why? Well, everyone knows about recycling. But if you take it a step further and think about precycling, you'll think through your purchase so that it generates as little waste as possible — and you'll avoid the need to recycle in the first place.

Tell us: How do you reduce waste at the grocery store?