Green Grocery Tips: Publix

Chances are, you've shopped at a variety of places, from small neighborhood markets to large retailers. No matter where you buy food, protecting the planet can have a place on your grocery list — even if you forget to bring reusable bags.

This week, we’ve looked at environmentally minded shopping with the little guys at farmers’ markets and at the large-ish Whole Foods Market. Today, we'll share some tips from a larger, regional grocer: Publix.

Tip #3: Restructure, from bagging to worldview. 

Operating more than 1,000 stores between six Southeastern states, employee-owned Publix is held in not just high Southern regard. The company has appeared on Fortune magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For every year since the list began in 1998.

Publix reports that sustainability efforts from its 12-year-old Get Into a Green Routine program have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 2.4 percent since the company began measuring them in 2007. Publix director of media and community relations Maria Brous said that a lot of little things added up.

"We put green signs on our light switches," Brous said. "Simple steps: remembering to report leaky faucets, even going back to the basics of teaching clerks how to bag appropriately so you use less bags."

Appropriately bag?

"You should always square off the bag," Brous said. "You have cereal boxes, you have cans — square it and fill in the middle. Lay bottles flat and put items on top of that. You lie the two-liter down, and you can start building on top of that."

Green Grocery Tips: Whole Foods Market

Hunting for food that's nutritious, affordable, sustainable, and tasty takes some pluck, especially when those values compete. Fortunately, the increasing cachet of the environmental movement has driven eco-consciousness into more businesses than ever.

Yesterday, we considered what questions to ask at farmers’ markets. Today, we learn what to look for at the king of the mainstream organic movement, Whole Foods Market.

Tip #2: Look for more than just organics.

Most people at least have an opinion of Whole Foods, which is pretty impressive for what's purportedly just the eighth-largest food-and-drug store in the country. While having close to 350 stores in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. is nothing to sneeze at, consider that the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart, has more than 10,000 stores in 27 countries. (More on Walmart later this week.)

For all the “whole paycheck” jokes and link-baiting kerfuffle over co-CEO John Mackey’s recent capitalism/fascism comments during his book tour, Whole Foods has a pretty sterling green rep. It’s hard to discuss the rise of organic foods' popularity without including Whole Foods.

As Lee Kane, Eco Czar and Regional Forager (actual title) for Whole Foods Market, puts it: “That’s who we are and what we’re best known for.”

The company’s other eco-driven initiatives include screening out products with GMOs, shooting for a minimum of 15 percent locally sourced products across all departments, and implanting an aggressive cull program that uses edible but not shelf-worthy perishables as ingredients in the prepared foods department.

Green Grocery Tips: The Farmers' Market

As a child, you were told to eat your vegetables. Now, you’re told to buy them local and organic too. Calls to buy sustainably sourced groceries are often and easily said, sure, but actually buying them is becoming more easily done. Farmers’ markets are multiplying like heritage-raised rabbits, and grocers sized from regional chains to national behemoths are greening their stores and the offerings inside.

This week, we'll help you make environmentally friendly decisions wherever you shop.

Tip #1: Navigate the farmers’ market like a pro.

Determining a farm's environmental impact can boil down to two questions, according to Julie Cummins, the director of education for the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA).

First, how does the farmer manage pests?

"You don’t have to know the names of a bunch of big chemicals to understand their answers," Cummins said. "A very environmentally sustainable farm will be doing preventative things to manage their pests, such as rotating their crops or planting habitats for beneficial insects."

Suppose the farmer says he or she doesn't use any sprays.

"I like to dig a little deeper and ask them what they mean by that. Sometimes you’ll see signs that say 'pesticide free' or 'no sprays,' but that doesn’t mean 'herbicide free' and that doesn’t mean they don’t spray, for example, methyl bromide, a fumigant they use before putting the crops in the ground."

Green Your Valentine's Day: DIY Dinner for Two

It is Valentine's Day! And just in case you forgot to make plans, the Green Life has one final tip to ensure that you enjoy an eco-friendly day of romance. Don't forget to check out yesterday's tip on all-natural fragrances.  

Tip #4: Make a Dinner for Two 

No dinner plans for Valentine's Day? Well, it's nothing that a quick stop at your local market can't fix. We have a romantic, planet-friendly dinner menu featuring Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Pasta and Zesty Sauteed Kale, that's sure to impress that special someone. Not only does this option allow you to support your local agriculture, it is also cost effective and is sure to give you plenty of leftovers for Friday's lunch. Make sure you find your local farmer's market before you head out to collect your ingredients.

Recipes:

Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Pasta

Green Your Valentine's Day: 4 Natural Fragrances

Valentine’s Day is almost here, so we're sharing some sweet ideas for a planet friendly day of romance. Yesterday we discussed eco-friendly bedroom essentials, today we will focus on green perfumes.

Tip #3: Find a Sweet Green Aroma

Since some fragrances are packed with harmful chemicals and toxic ingredients, a number of people just opt to steer clear of perfume products all together. But wouldn’t it be nice to have some “smell goods” for your special night out, or maybe to give as part of a romantic gift? Well good news, we’ve found some wonderful all-natural perfumes that will help you smell amazing without contaminating the environment. And yes, we have a cologne option too.

Love Train — Rich Hippie Eau De Parfum

The California based company, Rich Hippie, used 100% natural and chemical-free ingredients to create this flirty, romantic fragrance. Instead of using cheap alcohol made from petroleum, their scents are made with wine alcohol that is created right in California. You can find this fragrance on Rich Hippie’s website for $48.

 

DIY Perfume

Green Your Valentine's Day: In the Bedroom

With Valentine’s Day approaching, The Green Life is dishing out tips to help you enjoy an eco-friendly day of romance. Yesterday we discussed environmentally friendly candle options, today we will focus on topics that are a bit more. . . intimate.

Tip #2: Go Green. . . in the Bedroom

These four products will help you stay green while enjoying intimate activities with your special someone. 

Good Clean Love — Organic, Vegan Personal Lubricant

While other lubricants often contain harmful chemicals, this organic lubricant is paraben, glycerin and petrochemical free. Additionally, the vegan product is not tested on animals. Good Clean Love products can be found at your local Whole Foods Market for around $15.

Green Your Gifting: Party Favor Ideas

Whether you choose to do party favors or a gift exchange, a party always has more pizzazz if the guests don’t go home empty-handed. You could prepare a small token or give them the tools to make their own favors, but setting up a little something extra will go a long way toward making your guests feel appreciated.

Tip: Give green party favors or presents.

Party favors can be a great little takeaway for your holiday party. Depending on your time limit and budget, there are a couple different ways to go. 

Get crafty

Sometimes something handmade will impress your guests more than spending some cash. If you have spare time, you could individual gifts. A cute idea for individually made treasures are creating homemade ornaments  out of items around your house. Clothespins make great reindeer or toy soldier ornatments; and lightbulbs are pefect for Santas or penguins. Grab some paint and any extra bits of flair your can think of and craft something special for your coworkers. 

If you're short on time, set up a "photo booth" at your holiday party. Use old gift wrapping paper to create the backdrop. Next, use old boxes and paint/markers to make designs such as antlers, beards, santa hats, holiday scarves, elf hats, etc. Stick the cardboard to some wooden skewers and you have props for slightly cheesing yet memorable photos. Have a designated photographer for the evening and at the end of the party, upload them to a website, email them to guests, or print them out yourself if you have the materials.  

Drinking Buddies

Whether you prefer your beverages hot or cold, there's no need to ever again slink out of the coffee shop feeling guilty. These reusable drink containers — all BPA-free — will keep you from wasting cups and bottles.

COLD

Prefer glass to plastic? FAUCET FACE feels you. After all, glass is fully recyclable and never leaches chemicals. Its sturdy 14.4-ounce containers remind us of old-fashioned milk bottles and come emblazoned with mottoes intended to glamorize tap water. For each four sold, the company donates a sand filter to India, where many families lack clean water. $15 ($25 for two)

 

When your travel plans or space constraints call for a flexible liquid-toting solution, take along the Runway pouch from VAPUR. It's light, foldable (when empty), sleek, and enlivened by bold, couture-inspired patterns. A looped-in carabiner adds function. $10

Since you're on this site, you likely have a beyond normal love of hiking and/or public transportation. LIBERTY BOTTLEWORKS lets you display both of those eco-passions with patriotism — the company claims to produce the only made-in-the-USA metal water bottle and donates one percent of its proceeds to eco-causes. Its artist-driven designs include the Topo and the Mass Transit collections. $19

 

Popular bottle maker SIGG SWITZERLAND collaborated with a rainforest-conservation campaign called Cuipo to produce this fully recyclable, 20-ounce aluminum bottle adorned with their mascot, “Steve the Sloth.” It comes with an activation code; type it in on Cuipo’s website and you get to save a square meter of Panamanian rainforest. $22

 

BOBBLE makes clear, squeezable, recycled-plastic containers whose colorful carbon filters purify tap water as you drink. Each one creates the filtered-water equivalent of 300 average-size commercial water bottles. $9 for the 13-ounce size shown

HOT

For a straightforward design that gleams but doesn't sweat, you can't do much better than a bright-colored stainless-steel bottle from S'WELL. It's double-walled, so it keeps hot drinks hot for up to 12 hours and cold drinks cold for up to 24 — and it's great for wine and beer too. S'well donates a portion of its proceeds to WaterAid, a charity that helps the world's poorest people gain access to clean water. $35 for the 17-ounce size, $45 for the 25-ounce size

Bamboo is a sustainable material, yes, but it happens to be an insulating one too. The Bamboo Bottle uses the wood to hug a 17-ounce, recycled-glass interior. You can add a classic lid ($6) or a hot one ($8) that will keep your coffee piping. Also: The BAMBOO BOTTLE CO. donates one percent of its proceeds to environmental nonprofits. $20

MASTRAD sells a double-glass-walled Travel Mug, which, in addition to being a handsome conversation piece, keeps your drink hot, your hand comfy, and anything inside from spilling out. $20

FACT: Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, and 58 billion paper coffee cups every year.

 by Avital Andrews / photos (5) by Lori Eanes 

Do Cleaning Products Have Dirty Secrets?

Hey Mr. Green,

How damaging to the environment are Scotch Brite pads and their ilk?

—Robbyn, in Novato, California

It all depends on which ilk of pad from which company. 3M’s Scotch Brite has joined the green parade by developing a line of environmentally friendly products such as its “Greener Clean” scouring pad. It’s made from natural agave fibers, unlike those composed of plastic and unspecified mineral substances, or metal pads infused with chemicals of unspecified provenance. Whether processing and transporting agave fibers has greater or lesser total environmental impact than making conventional pads is impossible to determine. I do fervently hope that such a use of agave, the source of tequila, is not diminishing the supply of this divine beverage.

Limited-Edition PUBLIC bikes: Order Now and Save 10%

Limited time left to order! Order by December 25, 2012 for delivery in June 2013.

Make a statement with the unique, limited-edition, never-before-offered, custom color, soon-to-be-unavailable-forever SIERRA CLUB-themed bike. Show your eco-pride with your ride!

PUBLIC is a purveyor of European-style street bicycles in several styles. The new Sierra Club bikes will be offered in PUBLIC's C7 (step-through) and V7 (diamond) frames, in two sizes, and with rear rack included. Custom colored in bright grass-green, these bikes will feature the Sierra Club logo in white on the rear fender and head tube, and the Sierra Club slogan (Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the Planet) on both sides of the down tube. Click here for more specifics and to order the Sierra Club Bike.