Conservation 101: the Compete to Conserve Blog

photo credit: sutefani in orlando

My three-year-old is in the peak of her “Why?” phase. So when she asks why we have to turn off the water after washing our hands or brushing our teeth, I tell her that we don’t waste water. That, of course, prompts another “Why?” which gives me the chance to explain the interconnectedness of our consumption, the environment, and our own personal budget. (The answer, in case you were wondering, is because wasting isn’t good for the planet and because Mom can’t afford it.)

The same line of reasoning goes for food. That’s why I’m a major proponent of making a monthly menu and a grocery shopping list that I veer from only for fun treats that we consume right away. Since I began the menu/list plan, food rarely spoils in our home. I estimate I save about $25 a week (that’s $1,300 a year)–more if you consider what I’d spend eating out if I hadn’t bought wisely.

In an excellent article posted September 9, 2008, MainStreet.com takes this line of thinking one step further. Wasting food wastes more than food and money. It also wastes water:

“In the U.S., we throw away 30% of our food every year, according to the [Stockholm International Water Institute]. That wastes enough water to meet the needs of every household in North America for a year. It also wastes more than $48 billion a year, the report found.”

For the full MainStreet.com article and more money-saving tips, go here:
http://mainstreet.com/article/lifestyle/food-drink/save-money-food-help-save-world

1. 
   photo credit: cursedthing

   Buying in Bulk Saves Money
   We’re not just talking about buying giant boxes of food a warehouse store. (Although, if you eat that many Cheerios in a month, it can save you money.) We’re talking about the bulk bins at your local grocery store, where you can buy everything from rice, beans, flours, and spices to cereals, nuts, dried fruits, and pastas.
   You can save serious money shopping from these bins—10 to 30 percent off prepackaged prices.

2. Less Trash
   Compare the packaging of 10 cans of kidney beans to one bag. Or three 10-ounce boxes of cereal (three cardboard boxes and three un-recyclable plastic liners) to one bag and a twist tie. You can also reuse your bulk bin bag and twist tie to reduce your waste even more.
   If you’re super-attached to your old cereal boxes, save them and place your reusable bag inside.
3. Less Goes to Waste
   When you buy from the buy bins, you can buy the exact amount you need, so less is likely to spoil and go to waste.
4. Food Often Tastes Better
   Canned beans, for example, are more convenient, but once you get into the rhythm of pre-soaking beans and cooking them the night before, you’ll find beans from the bulk bins taste much better. They harbor none of the metallic aftertaste found in canned beans.
5. A Chemical Found in Most Canned Foods Is Linked to Cancer
   Unbelievable as it sounds, it’s true. Most food and drink cans are lined with a plastic resin that contains a chemical compound called bisphenol A (BPA). Due to a growing concern about the harmful health effects of BPA, it is being banned from baby bottles in Canada and many plastic-bottle manufacturers are voluntarily phasing it out of their products. The makers of cans, however, have not felt the wrath of consumers yet, so most plan to continue using it.

   More resources on BPA in cans, and, if you can’t buy fresh, who offers BPA-free cans:

   “BPA Danger May Be Greater in Tin Cans Than in Water Bottles,” TreeHugger
   http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/bpa-danger-from-cans.php

   A list of companies that use BPA in cans, from Organic Grace
   http://organicgrace.com/node/316

   “Where to Find BPA-free Cans,” Julie’s Health Club
   http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2008/06/where-to-find-b.html

photo credit: antjeverena

After a series of fits and starts and intense lobbying by the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition (I kid you not, this is a real organization), the Los Angeles City Council voted to ban plastic bags from grocery and other stores. The ban is slated to go in effect by July 2010 if the state of California does not move forward with plans to require stores to collect a 25-cent fee on each plastic bag a customer requests.

The news comes on the heels of a much weaker plan voted on by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which voluntarily asks stores to encourage shoppers to bring their own bags.

Coastal Communities Happy, Bag Industry Sad

The Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, and many neighbors in L.A.’s coastal communities and beyond support Wednesday’s move by the council. They say that ubiquitous plastic bags clog storm drains, litter city streets and beaches, harm wildlife, and add to an ever growing landfill.

Opponents, which include makers of plastic bags and the California Grocers Association, say the ban will have a devastating effect on the region’s packaging companies.

More Cities Poised to Ban Plastic Bags

San Francisco has already enacted a similar ban on plastic bags. Stores still offer free bags—usually paper, sometimes recyclable or compostable plastic. Based on anecdotal evidence, more shoppers bring their own bags. The cities of Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica are also in various stages of plans to reduce plastic shopping bag consumption.

Most of the San Franciscans we’ve talked to support the plastic bag ban. Sure, it can be a pain to remember to bring bags to the store. But while paper or cloth bags are bulkier and take up more closet space, they are also more durable and hold more items than the old plastic bags. Overall, it’s good to treat bag as a commodity that we value. It encourages everyone to reduce, re-use, and recycle.

More resources:

“L.A. City Council Votes for Ban on Plastic Shopping Bags,” Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-plastic23-2008jul23,0,5875215.story

“Plastic Bag Plan Unravels,” Los Angeles Times, January 23, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bags23jan23,1,1494577.story

“Plastic Bags - Good Stuff?” Facts from the Worldwatch Institute
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1499

“S.F. First City to Ban Plastic Shopping Bags,” San Francisco Chronicle, March 28, 2007
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/28/MNGDROT5QN1.DTL

photo credit: macieklew

To help shoppers make informed choices at the grocery store, the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit dedicated to educating consumers about commonplace but potentially dangerous chemicals, tested pesticide residue on common fruits and vegetables. The lists they created from their research serve as a great money-saving cheat sheet:

12 Fruits & Veggies Highest in Pesticides (Try to Buy Organic)

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes - imported
10. Pears
11. Spinach
12. Potatoes

12 Fruits & Veggies Lowest in Pesticides (Don’t Sweat If It’s Not Organic)

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn - frozen
4. Pineapples
5. Mangoes
6. Sweet Peas - frozen
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Bananas
10. Cabbage
11. Broccoli
12. Eggplant

EWG offers a more detailed downloadable PDF guide that you can print out and take shopping. The other good news is that our family taste tests, the “try to buy organic” foods like peaches, apples, and strawberries taste much better than their higher-in-pesticide counterparts. And the ones lowest in pesticides like onions or cabbage taste just as good as organic.