You can make any aspect of your life more eco-friendly. There are multiple ways in which you can reduce your carbon footprint and still continue to collect and buy all the things you would normally acquire on your shopping trip.
It is no joke when we tell you that there is 400 million tonnes of plastic waste produced each year. This also happens to account only for those statistics which are heavily reported, how much waste does a country like Pakistan produce? Well, with Karachi itself standing strong with a population of 14.9 million – it is hard to imagine that we are not producing at least 3 times this amount in non-biodegradable waste. While a lot of this has to do with the attitudes and values of urban dwellers such as Karachites, there are some simple life changes which allow for a more sustainable life lived.
With regards to your weekly grocery runs, we have four pointers for how you can upgrade your experience and reduce unnecessary waste and work on being more environmentally friendly.
Stop using plastic bags!
This one is perhaps the most simple to follow. All you need to do is invest in a few sturdy cloth or wicker bags and make sure that they remain in the boot of your car so just in case you plan on making an impromptu stop at a store for a milk and bread run. With just this one step, you will be able to save on using 100’s of plastic bags a year. Now multiply that by almost 15 million. Impressive huh?
Shop local!
By buying local produce, ie- things grown close at home to you, you are reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. By buying local produce, you are also benefiting the local economy and allowing for further development and growth.
Take your own bags to the sabzi and phal mandi!
You should not just be taking your tote bags to big stores, next time you are in the market buying fruit and veg, make sure to let them load these goodies up into your own bag. It will be much steadier to carry and again, reduces the amount of pesky plastic bags we see floating around our beaches.
Shop with purpose
Plan ahead! By organizing your purchases and needs for groceries, you manage to buy what you need in fewer trips and therefore save on car pollution and petrol. Make concrete lists and try to secure everything you will need for the next 2 weeks to a month.
