Set sprinklers to water the lawn or garden only - not the street or sidewalk.
Use the microwave to cook small meals. (It uses less power than an oven.)
Purchase "Green Power" for your home's electricity. (Contact your power supplier to see where and if it is available.)
Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
Cut back on air conditioning and heating use if you can.
Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.
In addition to the magical plastic bag disappearing act that took place on Earth Day at Whole Foods stores around the nation, the company has also tightened the belt on another major use of plastic—to go containers.
Instead of the usual plastic, cardboard, or styrofoam (gasp!) containers found in most supermarket self-service food sections, Whole Foods customers now pile their ready-made salads and other such sundries into completely compostable containers.
Many stores also have composting programs, which complete a full circle of local sustainability. Store refuse is composted, the compost is sold, and the profits are donated to local charities.
“This is just another part of our green mission, and it represents one of our core values, which is caring for our communities and our environment,” says Whole Foods spokesperson Kate Lowery.
Here is a sampling of some of the other local and nationwide Whole Foods environmental initiatives:
And remember, when you take the new biodegradable containers home, the final step is up to you.
Libuse Binder is the author of 10 Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties.
