Unless you have been living on another planet recently, you will know that environmental and sustainability issues have been a hot topic. Even as recently as the 90’s, not many people really considered where their nutrition tableware or clothing etc came from. It was a case of what do I want and where do I get it. This attitude is not sustainable however, and a shift in thinking is needed especially in these times of weak economy and global warming. Taking some time to think about where you get and how you consume your food can have a surprisingly big impact.
Local Producers. We have become complacent about being able to buy things like bananas all year round and having access to every spice under the sun. The fact this produce is sourced thousands of miles away has not long been in people’s consciousness and the impacts are large. Not only does the transport release vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, due to burning fuel and having to use a food and wine fridge to keep the produce chilled all the way, but also local food suppliers struggle to compete with low foreign costs. If you want to see the important businesses in your local area survive for years to come then make sure you use them whenever you can.
Fight Packaging. It is staggering just how much packaging is used to make modern food attractive and increase their life-span. A single cake might be individually wrapped, inside a small box with a plastic place-holder, which is wrapped in cellophane and transported inside a cardboard box, with the other cake boxes. More often than not this packaging is unnecessary, so try and avoid those products that go over the top with it.
Green Accessories. It is not only what food you buy than can have an effect on the planet. All sorts of things from which cutlery is used to which wine gifts bought for yourself or other can have just as much influence and the consumables themselves. Ask yourself where this ware has come from, is it something that could be made from a more sustainable textile, and is this a disposable product when I could be purchasing a reclaimable one? Disposable chopsticks for example cause thousands of trees to be cut down every day, when a good reusable pair can last a lifetime.
Tags: Environment, ethics, food, planet, sustainable