In the News - February 2008
Go green with your grocery shopping and save money
MARION, Ark. - Perhaps you haven't started recycling food-packaging
containers, or you may have limited access to some of the "greener" food
products on the market, however, there are some things you can do to make your
household more environment-friendly, says VeEtta Simmons, Crittenden County
staff chair for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
She offered these tips to help make your household a little "greener," and
save you money in the process.
- Choose container size wisely. When choosing between a large container
and several small containers that add up to the same volume, consider
whether buying the large container would serve the same purpose and save you
money.
- Consider reusable shopping bags. We could all carry our own reusable
shopping bags when we go shopping. If we don’t, we can reuse the plastic
grocery bags we accumulate to line small wastebaskets.
- Plan to shop less often. Plan ahead and shop less often for groceries,
or shop when you have several other errands that take you near a grocery
store. This will save fuel.
- Practice the 3 Rs. Produce less waste AND save money by practicing the
3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Tossing leftovers wastes money and the energy resources and packaging
materials associated with the tossed food. You can reduce this impact.
Simmons advises people throwing away leftover food to:
- Reduce the amount of left over food tossed by preparing and
serving smaller portions of foods that frequently produce leftovers.
- Reuse leftovers by serving them again in a day or two or
freezing them for future use.
- Recycle leftovers into a different type of meal, by including
the leftovers in other dishes such as casseroles, soups, etc.
Throwing away spoiled food is related to tossing leftovers, Simmons said. You
can reduce the amount of spoiled food that gets tossed by refrigerating and
freezing foods at recommended temperatures - zero degrees Fahrenheit or lower
for freezers and 40 degrees F or lower for the refrigerator section.
Follow recommended storage times for foods. For example, some
containers may specify a recommended time frame in which to eat a food after it’s opened.
Avoid buying so much food in bulk that it spoils before you can use it.
Simmons suggests that you read the labels for information such as "use by," "expiration date" or
"best if used by" dates.
For more information on financial resource management or ways to help our
environment, contact your county extension agent or visit
www.uaex.edu and select "Families and Consumers."
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of
Agriculture.
February 1, 2008
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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