Store Do's and Don'ts

There are many things you can do to be careful of the climate impacts of the things you buy. Clothing production alone makes up 10% of global carbon emissions, and there are many things you can do to cut that number down.

Store Do's

Buy Organic Produce: Organic produce is much better for you and the environment. When you buy meat, fruit, dairy, and vegetables, look for a USDA ORGANIC symbol on the box or package. The USDA symbol certifies that the produce is grown without pesticides, GMOs, and other biologically engineered substances.

Buy Less Meat: Meat is problematic in a number of ways, and the average American eats 215 pounds of meat a year. First of all, animals require a lot of land, and that land usually comes from forests. This makes farming one of the main causes of deforestation. Planes and trucks that are used to ship the meat release tons of carbon as well. If all of the USA ate 1/4 less meat a year we would put out 82 million metric tons less of greenhouse gases. Try having just two or three vegetarian nights a week. This will allow you to explore new, healthy recipes, helping you and the environment.

Buy Local: If you buy local, not only are you helping to prevent climate change but you are also helping your local economy and your local farmers and artisans. Instead of going to the grocery store, try first going to the Farmers' Market to see what local groceries you can pick up there and then go to the store. When you buy local, you skip the long plane rides and truck stops that other groceries have to go through, minimizing emissions and getting fresher food.

Research Where Your Food Comes From: Your food could have traveled from anywhere on earth. Before you make your next grocery run, try looking at where your food actually comes from and what their procedures are regarding pesticides, GMOs, carbon emissions, and other things including what the company politically supports and where their money is going. This allows you to only buy what you think will be best.

Buy From Sustainable Brands: When you do have to buy from far away, look up what the brands you are buying from's climate change policies are.

Store Don’ts

Buy Plastic Silverware, Plastic Straws, or Paper Plates: Plastic straws are one of the leading things polluting the ocean, and plastic silverware isn't far behind. Paper plates take trees to make and aren't always sustainably sourced. When possible, use metal silverware and reusable plates.

Buy Things From Far Away And Have Them Shipped: Shipping goods is one of the leading causes of climate change. Buying local is the best solution, but when you need to buy things from big companies try driving to the store yourself to pick them up.

Buy a Lot of Packaged Products: Plastic packaging is very bad for the environment. Try buying in bulk to minimize the amount of packaging that you throw away, and remember to recycle what you can.

Buy Fast Fashion Clothes: Fast Fashion is when companies sell badly made, inexpensive clothes to meet the latest trends. This is terrible for the environment because these clothes almost always are only worn once or twice. Try buying higher-quality clothes that you won't have to throw away for a couple of years.

Get Things From Big Industries: Big industries are much worse for the environment than your local brands. Try buying locally when you can.