What’s in Your Bag? A Guide to Green Shopping

What’s in Your Bag?

A Guide to Green Shopping

By Michael PattonExecutive Director

The Metropolitan Environmental TrustTulsa, Oklahoma

Texas Recycling & Sustainability ConferenceAugust 2007

Buy LocalBuy Recycled Packaging

Buy Recyclable Packaging

Buy Reduced Packaging

Every dollar I spend is a vote for the environment.

People want to be better shoppers.

Package Material

Storage

Shipping

Reuse

Disposal

Weekly Grocery Spending

(Food Only)

Weekly Grocery Spending

(Food Only)Men living alone - $60

Women living alone - $50

Elderly - $45

With children - $31

With young children – $28

Source: USDA

Men living alone - $60

Women living alone - $50

Elderly - $45

With children - $31

With young children – $28

Source: USDA

Weekly Spending by Ethnicity

White - $41.67Black - $32.50

Hispanic - $32.50

Source: USDA

Produce Aisle

Packaging by Mother Nature

Compostable

Fair trade and country of origin

& buy local when available

Packaging by Mother Nature

Compostable

Fair trade and country of origin

& buy local when available

What is Organic?

Organic food must be produced without the use of sewer-sludge fertilizers,

synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and irradiation.

A variety of agricultural products can be produced organically, including produce, grains, meat, dairy, eggs and processed

food products.

Average Annual ExpenditureFruits and Vegetables

9.7% of food budget is spent on fruits and vegetables

Fresh fruits 3.23%Fresh vegetables 3.17%Processed fruits 1.9%

Processed vegetables 1.42%

Food Institute analysis based on Bureau of Labor statistics

Baskets, Bags and Trays

Bananas and Banana Bread

Baskets, Bags and Trays

Bananas and Banana Bread

Meat & Dairy Aisle

Resealable Bag

Fresh, Frozen or Canned

Average Annual ExpenditureMeat, Poultry, Fish & Eggs

Food Institute analysis based on Bureau of Labor statistics

15 percent of American’s total food budget is spent on meat,

poultry, fish & eggs.

Use a meal planner to reduce waste.

Paper or cardboard vs

Polystyrene egg cartons

Buying in the deli allows for

portion control

Paperboard milk cartons

vs Plastic milk jugs

Natural vs. Dyed containers

Average Annual Expenditureon Dairy Products

Food Institute analysis based on Bureau of Labor statistics

Americans spend 6.42% of their food

budget on milk, cream and other dairy products.

Bottle Grade Plastics

94 percent of plastic bottles are #1 or #2

vs Plastic tubs

Cereal Aisle

Cereal Boxes as Art

Box is Pure

Marketing

The One Box we Read

Bag inside a Box vs Bag only

100% Recycled

Rising Post-Consumer Content

Beverage Aisle

Total U.S. Beverage Consumption (2005)

Carbonated Soft Drinks  28.3% Bottled Water  10.7%

Milk 10.9% Coffee 9.0% Beer 11.7%

Fruit Beverages 4.7% Sports Drinks 2.3%

Tea 3.8% Wine 1.2%

Distilled Spirits 0.7% All Others 15.3%

Source – American Beverage Association

Real Choices

Glass

Plastic

Aluminum

53 million plastic bottles Are thrown in the trash every day.

In Tulsa, the average household buys 225

bottles of water per year. Of those, 16 are recycled.

53 million plastic bottles Are thrown in the trash every day.

In Tulsa, the average household buys 225

bottles of water per year. Of those, 16 are recycled.

Shipping and Distribution

State Deposit Laws

States with Bottle Bills

CaliforniaConnecticutDelawareHawaii Iowa

MaineMassachusettsMichiganNew YorkOregonVermont

States Considering LegislationArkansas

IllinoisMarylandNorth

Carolina

South CarolinaTennesseeWest VirginiaPennsylvania

Pennsylvania LegislationSenate Bill 1035 establishes a five-cent levy on

containers holding liquids, including carbonated soft drinks, beer, sports drinks, tea, and all forms of water.

Revenues would be deposited into a state-administered Returnable Beverage Container Fund and used to compensate deposit claims submitted by beverage

distributors and redemption centers.

If approved, distributors would be responsible for paying the state a monthly fee for all containers manufactured in

or imported into the Commonwealth. Conversely, the state would be responsible for paying redemption

centers a two-cent handling fee for each unredeemed beverage container.

Plastic Bottle Recycling

The first plastic bottle was recycled in 1977 Recycling a ton of PET bottles saves 7.4

cubic yards of landfill space. The weight of a two liter bottle is 48 grams,

down 29 percent from 1978. Number of PET bottles per pound:

16 oz – 18 bottles per pound 2 liter – 9 bottles per pound

Source:NAPCOR

Snack Aisle

Chips vs CrackersGive Piece a Chance

Paper Product Aisle

Virgin vs Post Consumer

Grades of Paper

Recycle-phobia

Quality of Products

Around 45% of the paper Americans use each year (over 47 million tons) is recovered for

recycling. This is made into a wide variety of goods such as new newsprint, boxes and

office paper, paper towels, tissue products, insulation, cereal boxes, molded packaging,

hydro-mulch, gypsum wallboard - even compost and kitty litter!

80% of U.S. papermakers use some recovered fiber in manufacturing, and nearly 200 mills use ONLY recovered paper for their fiber.

Cleaning/Household Products

Beware of words like ‘toxic,’ ‘hazardous’ and ‘caution’ on

label

Find safer alternatives

Buy Concentrated?

Natural Drain Cleaner

Recipe:

1/2 cup baking soda

1/2 cup white vinegar

Boiling water

Pour baking soda down the drain. Add white vinegar

and cover the drain, if possible. Let set for 5 minutes.

Then pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain.

Paper vs.

Plastic

At the Checkout

Michael Patton

The Metropolitan Environmental Trust

Michael Patton

The Metropolitan Environmental Trust

MetRecycle.comRecyclemichael@yahoo.com

MetRecycle.comRecyclemichael@yahoo.com