Hello green shopper: good-bye waste problem

New Life Journal, Oct, 2005 by Greg Hottinger

QUIZ: Are You a Green Shopper?

Test your green shopper skills with the quiz below--score one point for each YES--and consider ways to become even greener.

--Do you choose #1 (PETE) and #2 (HDPE) plastic packaging instead of those that aren't recydable: #3 (PVC), #4 (LDPE), #5 (PP), #6 (PS), and #7 (Other)?

--Do you clean containers and dispose of plastic lids before recycling? (Dirty containers are sent to the landfill and a small amount of the wrong plastic ruins plastic recycling).

--Do you avoid aseptic packaging (juice boxes, soymilk boxes) because they are not recyclable in your area?

--Do you take reusable coffee cup/beverage containers into cafes, coffee shops, and other places?

--Do you use a canvas or cloth bag when grocery shopping? Add an extra point if you go bag-less on days you've forgotten your own bags.

--Do you shop regularly at the farmers market? Add an extra point if you take your own bags.

--Do you buy eggs in recycled paper cartons instead of styrofoam or plastic? Give yourself an extra point if you return paper cartons to local farmers for reuse.

--Do you buy grains, beans, nuts, and other foods in bulk? Give yourself an extra point if you reuse bags and bring your own containers.

--Do you buy in larger quantities to reduce overall packaging? (Stonyfleld Farm says that their 32-ounce yogurt containers require 27% less energy to produce and distribute than their eight-ounce containers).

--Do you compost yard waste? Add another point if you compost food scraps.

--Add two points if you use no plastic bulk or produce bags but bring your own or reuse them until they wear out.

--Do you sit down to eat at a restaurant instead of ordering take-out to avoid waste?

--Add two points if you buy biodegradable plastic products, like trash bags.

--Do you regularly skip on a purchase because of excessive packaging?

--Do you have a green shopper kit in your car? It may include a box, canvas bags, reusable mugs, sturdy plastic cups, cloth napkins, inexpensive silverware, clean bulk containers.

Score:

1-4 Sprout

8-12 On the Green

13-17 Lean and Green

18 Green Machine

(1.) www.motherearthnews.com/library/2000_December_January/Recycle_This_ Article (2.) Budiansky, Stephen. "Being Green Isn't Always What It Seems." U.S. News and World Report. 26 August 1996:42 (www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/artides/960826/ archive_O34562.htm) (3.) www.organicconsumers.org/school/bpa041505.cfrn

Greg Hottinger, MPH, RO, is the nutritionist for the Duke University Center for Integrative Medicine and author of The Best Natural Foods on the Market Today: A Yuppie's Guide to Hippie Food (www.bestnaturalfoods.com). He is a regular contributor to New Life Journal.