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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Diane C. Birdwell at 512-478-8813
Green
Shopping
When
you go to the store, are you thinking
about more than just "what's
for dinner"? Do you realize
that what you buy and how you
use it has an impact on the environment?
Keep Texas Beautiful and its network
of affiliate organizations work
to educate individuals on the
numerous benefits of green shopping.
One of the most prominent and
simple messages is that by shopping
green, less waste ends up in our
already overcrowded landfills.
It doesn't take any more time,
money or effort once you know
what to do and shop for, and the
benefits to our environment are
immeasurable.
Shopping is the logical point
to begin waste reduction efforts,
because the waste stream begins
with acquisition. Our society
has grown accustomed to the bad
habits of "buy, use, throw
away". Green shopping teaches
us to reshape that idea to fit
our modern world in several ways.
Buying less, buying recycled,
and buying "gently used"
items, which we might otherwise
throw away, reduces waste production.
All three are easy to incorporate
into your shopping agenda.
A great place to start is to bring
your own reusable bag to the store.
This saves plastic and paper grocery
bags from being used. If you do
get a plastic bag, don't throw
it away. Plastic bags have a myriad
of other uses. You may not even
need a bag if you only buy a couple
of items.
Buying less means seeking out
products that are recyclable,
do not use excessive packaging,
or can be reused. A great way
to exercise these ideas is to
purchase concentrated products
and buy in bulk. For instance,
buying juice concentrate in aluminum
cans means that not only is the
initial packaging smaller, but
that it can easily be recycled.
Concentrated detergents are another
good example. You get just as
much cleaning power out of the
detergent, but the smaller packages
reduce waste by a considerable
amount.
Buying recycled means seeking
out products that display the
symbol. These are easy to find
on paper products, such as kitchen
towels and notebook paper. Purchasing
these products over others encourages
manufacturers to produce recycled
content products, bringing them
into the recycling loop.
Finally, the concept of reuse
can be as simple as saving spaghetti
sauce jars for storage, or as
grand as buying a beautiful vintage
couch rather than a new one. Books
from a used bookstore are just
as enjoyable as those from a new
bookstore, and cost less too!
Reused items often add character
to a home, and definitely preserve
the beauty of our state by minimizing
waste.
Next time you go to the grocery
store, think about what you buy.
If your local stores don't carry
environmentally friendly products,
ask them to. This shows retailers
that there is market for these
goods. After a few trips to the
store, green shopping will become
a habit. It's efforts like these
that will help lessen our impact
on the environment and keep Texas
beautiful for years to come.
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