Minor lifestyle changes can cause a major decrease of your environmental impact.
Discover tips for making your grocery shopping even more sustainable.
The meat industry is one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions—a
huge reason why people go vegan. While the vegan lifestyle reduces an individual’s
carbon footprint, there is still inevitable waste when grocery shopping. Even the most
vegan-abundant brands have their sustainability pitfalls. With a few more
considerations, your consumerism can become even more eco-friendly. Explore
different tips for making your grocery shopping more sustainable.
Shop Local
For every grocery item that’s not local, there’s a boat, plane, or truck needed to
make its delivery. Transportation is another major contributor to greenhouse gas
emissions—releasing carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and more.
Limit your purchases of food from out of your area. Buying local is a wonderful
opportunity to support local growers (who you’re likely to receive more consistent
and quality produce from than big corporations anyway). Many towns and cities host
farmer’s markets to showcase and sell local produce, allowing you to use your
economic value to support your community.
Shop Less with Wholesale Buys
The perks of buying bulk include great considerations for your budget and
conscience. Whether you’re looking to cut back waste in office or at home, making
wholesale purchases are a surefire way to do either or both.
Wholesale items produce much less packaging material than individually wrapped
items. Bulk purchases are convenient for a multitude of reasons.
– No more one-off trips to restock on an item, which means less car exhaust
pollution.
– Less time spent determining what product waste materials are trash or
recyclable.
– You’re more likely to buy your goods at a cheaper rate than individual sale.
From stocking the administrative office to stocking the pantry, bulk buying is the way
to go.
Check Labels and Verify Brands’ Sustainability
As a vegan, you’ve likely already adopted the habit of double-checking the label
when unsure about an item’s ingredients. Checking labels and brands are a couple
tips for making your grocery shopping more sustainable that take minor effort but can
make a big impact.
Becoming more familiar with grocery store brands and their labeling won’t just help
you stick to your dietary lifestyle, but it also ensures you purchase from trusted
companies. When looking at the ingredients, you’ll be able to quickly tell whether
they are as organic and earth-friendly as advertised.
Dig a little deeper next time you’re in the produce aisle. A quick Google search can
tell you everything you need to know about how a brand treats their employees and
the planet, which are deciding factors for a lot of vegans.
