"There is sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed." Mahatma Gandhi.

Chomper's Tips

Carry REUSEABLE grocery bags to hold things from stores like supermarkets, drug stores, and the Bulk Food Store, and reuse it instead of plastic bags.

In Europe, most women come to the stores with their net/cloth bags. Some people even make their own grocery bags! They are stronger and can be rewashed and hold more groceries.

REUSEABLE BAGS can be purchased at local Supermarkets and at Shopper's Drug Mart.

Reduce the Use of Plastic Grocery Bags
by using reusable grocery bags.

  • Plastic bags aren’t biodegradable. They actually go through a process called photodegradation. It takes from months to hundreds of years for the plastic bags to breakdown into smaller and smaller toxic particles. As they decompose, tiny toxic bits seep into soils, lakes, rivers, and the oceans—contaminating both soil and water, and end up entering the food chain when animals accidentally ingest them.
  • According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. Of those, approximately 100 billion are plastic shopping bags, which cost retailers about $4 billion annually.
  • Hundreds of thousands of whales, dolphins, sea turtles and other marine mammals die every year after eating discarded plastic bags they mistake for food.
  • The production of plastic bags accounts for some 37,000 tonnes of plastic polymer that is derived from non-renewable resources. While plastic bags can be recycled, major supermarkets only collect small amounts through their recycling facilities for reprocessing.
  • Plastic bags are considered to be a 'free' commodity but the cost to households of $10 to $15 per year is added to the price of goods that they purchase.

REDUCE

What is the best way to decrease environmental damage from pollution? The answer is simple. It is to reduce use at the source. By reducing our use of resources, we reduce the potential for waste production and helping to conserve valuable resources.

Frequently, this can be done by avoiding disposable, over packaged or single-use products.

Simple tips for everyday life:

  • Carry your lunch in reusable containers.
  • Put your groceries in reusable bags instead of plastic bags. [Local Supermarkets and Shopper's Drug Mart have reusable supermarket bags for sale.]
  • Buy in bulk in order to eliminate excess packaging
  • Use cloth table napkins rather than paper napkins
  • "Lug a Mug!" - take a travel mug with you to the coffee shop
  • Instead of buying seldom used items rent them or share appliances with your neighbors. How often do you really use that steam carpet cleaner, shop vac, leaf or snow blower, circular saw or sewing machine? Chances are, many of your household appliances lie dormant until that time once or twice a year you pull them out for some special project. Why not start an appliance sharing program with some of your neighbors? You'll save money, stretch scarce storage space and promote good will.
  • Have reusable plates, cups, and cutlery for picnics and parties.
  • Use reusable gift bags rather than paper wrap.
  • Use cloth rags and mops rather than one-time-use disposal products.
  • Buy only what you need, use all that you buy. Before you buy anything, ask yourself if you really need it.

Waste reduction at source is the most uncomplicated and efficient approach.

If waste is not created in the beginning, the waste control problem is not created either.

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