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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I love whole foods! I use reusable grocery bags and stopped buying bottled water and use a Nalgene regularly now. Great giveaway!
To be more green at whole foods I try not to use the plastic bags for my veggies and fruit. And my favorite thing to buy there is their store made pico de gallo. It’s fantastic!
I bring my own bags every time to Whole Foods – ours allows us to either get $.05 off for each bag or donate to two charities of the month, one of which is always local!
Buying frozen fish and selecting from the bulk bins are not only green but most of the time a great way to save some money as well!
I loved this post! Thanks for using your platform to reach out to a such a wide audience about an important topic 🙂 I try to cut down on buying goods that have a lot of individual packaging. So much better to buy things like nuts in bulk and pack it into my own reusable containers! Oooh, and I have such a love for their peanut/almond butter that you can grind yourself!
I walk and bring my own bags
We use real plates instead of eating with plastic forks, spoons, and plates.
Hi Julie, great post! I always use my own grocery bags when I shop
I’ve started cutting down on my paper towel use and switched to organic dish clothes. I still use paper towels from time to time, but I’m getting better at eliminating them!
Resuable bags! I go to the grocery store often enough, it is an easy way to green my routine
I reuse bags to “green” my routine. I also love the dried mango at WF!
I bring my own bags and recycle at home.
I love Whole Foods! I’ve even started buying their facial cleansers, and its amazing and so reasonably priced. I also bring my reusable bags to a lot more stores now. 🙂
I have a bunch of reusable bags and always leave them in my trunk just in case I make an unexpected trip to the grocery store. I like Whole Food’s cooked whole chicken. It’s so delicious and convenient on nights when I don’t want to cook!
I buy in bulk and I do take my own bags to the store. I have been thinking about composting too but I’m not there yet!
Buying in bulk is key for me because I am grocery shopping for one and I tend to waste a lot if I buy prepackaged things. I am also a sucker for their hot bar. I can’t go in there without getting something or 2 lbs worth! 🙂
Buying frozen seafood for sure – can’t get enough of that stuff. I love Whole Foods entire chocolate/sweets section…makes me feel better about my horrible sweet tooth.
I’ve had great luck making my own cleaning products with vinegar — easy, cheap and effective, with no excess plastic!
We try to reuse our bags as much as possible! Also, I try to refill my reusable water bottle as opposed to using too many disposable bottles.
I love buying fish and lacinato kale at Whole Foods!
My favorite things to buy at whole foods are kombucha and the 365 Whole Foods brand of tahini!
We recycle everything we can (down to our toilet paper rolls). I also keep an empty coffee can under my kitchen sink to throw my compost in. When the can is full, I take it outside to our compost pile. Our family of three maybe fills a trash can every three weeks by doing this!
I love buying juice from the juice bar! I have a serious love affair with whole foods…
we compost all our left overs and scraps!
We recycle and try to buy produce that’s in season.
The bulk bind are my favorite too !! Helps me buy exactly what I need without worrying whether it will go bad.
My daughter has a food dye intolerance so we shop Whole Foods for dye free treats!
We bring our own bags to the grocery store 🙂
I bring my own bags and try to pick seasonal produce as much as possible!
Always bring my own bags. Environmentally friendly and they hold more!
I always bring my own bags to the grocery store, and we recycle!
I just have made a conscious effort to always have a reusable bag with me!
I always bring my reusable bags! And my Whole Foods ones are my favorite/the cutest.
I started cleaning my shower w/ Norwex cloths that clean it more thoroughly w/ no cleaners needed!
Thanks for the great giveaway! We are big recyclers at our house, and try to do our best to buy in bulk and in season when possible.
I always bring my own bags and often buy in bulk.
We buy in bulk and always bring my reusable bags to the grocery center!
We purchase our meats from a local, sustainable company – the meat is both more delicious and more earth friendly!
I love Whole Foods pizzas (no shame!), and I’m always sure to stock up on my Buddha’s Brew kombucha. I take any egg cartons and paper bags I get from WF to my local farmer so he can use them to package his eggs/meat/etc.
I bring reusable shopping bags whenever I go shopping anywhere! And I just started making my own cleaning supplies!
We try to use green cleaners and Norwex products when cleaning the house to keep the chemicals out as best as possible!
We buy frozen fish for quick dinners and I always buy the more green cleaners, which I started when I had kids as well!
I love taking my own grocery bags and am going to look more into buying frozen fish! I love incorporating fish into my diet and would want to do so more sustainably!
I bring reusable bags, but also take home at least one to two paper bags for my recyclables. The bags are the perfect vessel and are also recyclable!
The City of Minneapolis recently started a compost system! My husband and I now separate compost from regular garbage (and recycling), we put our green bin on the curb, and the city collects it weekly! Someday when we own a home, I would to have my own backyard compost pile.
My favorite thing to buy at Whole Foods right now is Tart Cherry Juice! Great for muscle recovery
I recycle/re-use as much as I can. I am also a big fan of the re-usable bags and always carry them with me when I’m shopping.
We always bring our own bags and request email receipts whenever possible. We also make cleaning products at home using vinegar and water and dish soap when needed.
I use reusable grocery bags when I shop. If I happen to forget my bags I then repurpose the paper bags I get from the store as trash bags or even use to wrap gifts. Brown paper bags make a great natural look as gift wrap.
I ALWAYS shop with my reusable bags!! I can never understand when people say they always “forget” to use theirs. The reusable bags hold so much more, easier to carry into the house and are way better for the environment!!
We try to eat less meat for a few reasons, environmental impact being one. It takes less resources to enjoy black bean vs beef tacos, plus it’s healthier! I did not know about Whole Foods’ cleaner rating system or the limited regulations – thank you for sharing!