Good morning and Happy Thursday! I hope you guys are doing well so far today! I’m excited to be teaming up with Whole Foods Market on today’s blog post and chat about simple things we can all do to “green our routines” and be a little more environmentally-friendly.
Below you will find six simple ways to green your routine and there’s also a great giveaway at the bottom of this blog post that I think my fellow Whole Foods Market lovers will enjoy!
Six Simple Ways To Green Your Routine at Whole Foods
- Purchase Frozen Fish and Buy Sustainable Catch
As someone who loves almost any kind of seafood and prepares fish for dinner at least once a week, purchasing frozen and sustainably-caught seafood is a big one for me! While fresh seafood must often travel long distances by air, frozen seafood can make its way to retailers via a more energy-efficient mode of transportation. An added bonus is that modern flash-freezing means consumers still get high-quality seafood, often for less money than fresh seafood.
Additionally when purchasing wild-caught seafood, select options that are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or rated “Green” or “Yellow” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program and the Safina Center to ensure that your choice is sustainable.
- Bring Your Own Bags
I have a feeling a lot of you already do this (at least I hope you do!), but bringing your own reusable grocery bags to the store with you is such a simple way be a little more environmentally friendly. Plus, many Whole Foods Market locations offer discounts for customers who bring their own bags into the store! Win, win.
Fun fact: It’s estimated that Whole Foods has kept more than 150 million plastic bags out of landfills since eliminating plastic grocery bags from their stores in 2008.
- Choose Greener Cleaners
I started to pay more attention to the type of cleaners we use at home when I was pregnant and am definitely more cognizant of our cleaning supplies now that we have a baby at home. Whole Foods Market’s Eco-Scale Rating System mandates full ingredient disclosure on all household cleaning products (<— something that is not require by US law) in an effort to help shoppers identify a product’s environmental impact though a color-coded rating.
The orange rating is the minimum rating, noting that products with an orange rating do not have ingredients with significant environmental or safety concerns (such as phosphates or chlorine). Yellow-rated products meet even higher standards and green-labeled products are the top tier!
- Select In-Season Produce
This is another tip that is both great for flavor and for saving energy and resources! By shopping in season, you’re more likely to save money and enjoy deliciously flavorful produce while also purchasing food that has been harvested using less energy and resources during a time when it grows naturally.
- Shop In Bulk
Oooh the bulk foods section! I don’t know what it is about this section of Whole Foods, but I’m always drawn to it first. I love trying new foods and appreciate the way the bulk bins allow me to shop for the exact amount I want to use. They’re a great way to save money (I love buying chia seeds, nuts and nutritional yeast in bulk) and also cut down on materials and waste.
- Vote With Your Dollars
I cannot remember where I first heard this tidbit of advice, but it’s something I think about regularly when I am shopping. Whatever you purchase at the grocery store is essentially a “vote” telling brands that you like what they’re doing and want more of it. I would obviously prefer to see store shelves packed with food that is nutritious and produced with sustainability in mind and feel that by gravitating toward this type of food when I shop, I play a very small part in keeping the wheel running and encouraging the production of more responsibly-produced food.
Whole Foods Market Gift Card Giveaway
And now for that giveaway I promised you at the beginning of this post! One PBF reader will win a $100 gift card to Whole Foods Market. Sweet, right!?
To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment on this blog post telling me one thing you do on a regular basis to “green your routine” or tell me one of your favorite things to buy at Whole Foods.
I will randomly select a winner tomorrow morning.
Good luck!!
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Bringing my own bags
I use reusable bags, and walk to and from the grocery store.
I use reusable bags!
I love their freshly ground peanut butter and their salad bar.
I always bring my reusable shopping bags to the store and I do my best to recycle plastic, glass and aluminum containers.
i love everything from whole foods 🙂 but since i have to pick, i love buying veggie burgers the most!
Recycling! It’s the easiest way any of us can help the environment 🙂
We just recently started composting! And I agree, gotta love those bulk bins! Its hard not to stock up on all of the chocolate-covered goodness…..
We always buy what’s in season! And those bulk bins…oh my lands. So fun!
I’m obsessed with recycling! If I finish a box of Larabars or bottle of water at the office, I’ll ALWAYS toss it in my tote to recycle later when I get home. It’s important to me to recycle all the time, not just when it’s easy to do it!
I have a Baggu tote (cannot recommend this brand enough!) that lives permanently in my purse so I never use plastic shopping bags when I run small, unexpected errands. I have several re-usable bags that I bring along when I do big grocery shopping trips. One of my biggest “green” things to do at home is buy as many cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc. as possible in bulk and then refill smaller containers as needed!
Great giveaway, Julie!
I try to buy things in the least amount of packaging possible. I hate that so much of what we buy comes in plastic!
I use only cold water when doing laundry…works just as well as hot and maintains the integrity of the clothes to boot!
whole foods is the most addicting grocery store! i always try to bring my reusable bags, not only for the environment and the discount, but they’re much more comfortable to walk home with!
I bring my own bags. I love exploring the bulk bins too.
Recycle and reuse as much as possible both at home and at work. I’m always looking for the greenest product I can find for a product. And buying bulk always helps reduce excess trash.
I always carry a baggu foldable bag with me and use LED light bulbs!
I’ve actually just recently started turning over our cleaning supplies with similar items and even the scents alone make me feel better about less harsh products. Also, I’m glad you mentioned nutritional yeast in the bulk section- I’ve been wanting to try it but haven’t wanted to purchase a whole container just in case it was a no-go, so next time i’m at WF I’ll grab a sample size!
I always bring reusable bags when I shop. I also love that Whole Fooods sells cute reusable bags and updates the designs regularly. My favorite things to buy are the 365 brand veggie burgers and rice medleys.
I always bring my own shopping bags and make sure to recycle any packaging that I purchase.
I always bring my own bags! And I love buying kombucha at Whole Foods 🙂
This post is timely for me because I just went to Whole Foods for the first time last week (working out of town for the next few months in Pittsburgh, PA! I got my hands on some AMAZING Icelandic Milk Chocolate with Toffee. And, of course I sampled a ton of stuff on the salad bars. Next week, I want to try the blueberry crumble bars when I go back next week!
I love trying different green cleaners. 🙂
Reusable bags!
I turn off the water while brushing my teeth and always turn off the lights when leaving a room. It’s the little things!
I started planning meals for the week – simple, but it definitely reduces the amount of food we waste!
Whole Foods is the best! I’m fortunate to have one right by my office and there is one right by my home! We buy most things at Whole Foods.. From lunch at their deli, their produce and organic snacks are the best, LaCroix waters and Mrs. Meyers cleaning supplies! I’m addicted to Mrs. Meyers, we buy their laundry detergent, laundry softener, hand soap, cleaning spray, etc..! It’s cheaper to buy the concentrate and mix with water versus continuing to buy cleaning spray every time you run out. Basil is my favorite scent of theirs!
I use a Klean Kanteen every day at work so I don’t have to use plastic or styrofoam cups. Thanks for the giveaway!
My favorite thing to buy at Whole Foods is their coconut milk and hand soap. My office started using their soap and I had to buy it for my kitchen and my bathroom at home!
I love shopping for more natural cleaning products since I have a toddler running around!
I love using my canvas totes at the grocery store, but in case I ever forget I just reuse the plastic bags as trash bags in my bathrooms at home! My favorite thing to buy at Whole Foods is actually some of their face products. I have sensitive skin, so anytime a company uses natural ingredients in their lotions it is a big plus!
Whole Foods sells unsalted beans in BPA-free cans, so I always make sure to stock up on those! Anything from the 365 brand is pretty much guaranteed to be a good deal. And for a splurge, the cheese section is my go-to!
Bring my own bags!! I actually live in DC and they charge you 5 cents if you use a plastic bag, so brining my own bags actually saves me money and helps the earth 🙂 every little thing helps!!
I always bring in my reusable bags, and I also make an effort to buy natural laundry detergent, deodorant, body wipes, etc – Whole Foods is without doubt one of my favorite stores and markets!
I always bring my own bags!
I bring my own bags when shopping at Whole Foods. I love their peanut butter grinder!
I will NOT shop if I haven’t brought my own bag; I also buy in season–if I want a fruit or veggie out of season I buy it frozen; I live in LA so it’s easy for me to buy local; I’m vegetarian, which helps to minimize the environmental impact of the meant industry on the planet. I’m still working, but I hope my actions add to the environmental movement’s force!
I always bring my own reusable bags when grocery shopping!
I only purchase green cleaning supplies. Makes me feel so much better!
I use reusable bags and buy in bulk!
I always bring my own bags to Whole Foods! I love buying bulk spices–so much cheaper, freshly ground nut butters, and organic pastured raised chicken!!
I almost always use my reusable bags, but if I make an impromptu trip with a friend or for some reason don’t have my bags with me, I reuse the bags as doggy pickup bags. 😉 I’m all about the reusing!
Favorite thing to buy at Whole Foods….. when you can get the smaller slices of cheese from the “Try a Bit” bin. That way, we’re able to know what kinds we like and there is less to go bad in our fridge. 🙂
I try my best to bring my reusable bags to the grocery store. I also love Mrs. Meyers cleaning products for a more green, yet extremely effective, way to clean our house!
we just recently planted a bunch of herbs and vegetables using organic soil! we just tilled the garden so we can have fresh, organic veggies!
I always use reusable bags no matter where I shop.
I buy only green cleaning products. I want things that are safe not only the environment but for my pets and my family.
Hot bar. All things hot bar!
I like to use reusable bags!
I like to shop the farmers market during the summer to get produce that’s in season AND local!