Shop Naked Introduction

A few weeks ago, I spoke to over 100 eighth graders about nutrition, sustainability, and zero waste living. It was invigorating to see how interested they were – the teachers even had to cut off the questions! When I asked them to guess how many single use plastic bags are used each year, they estimated 100 million…
 
Shockingly, it’s 10,000 times that. Yes, you read that right- we use 1 TRILLION plastic bags each year. In the time it takes you to read this newsletter, 2 million plastic bags are used. And, in about 12 minutes, those bags are already in the garbage! We use trillions of bags a year for a matter of minutes yet they last in our environment for 100s if not 1000s of years. There’s something wrong here! BUT, as always, there’s something you can do about it!
 
We can all SHOP NAKED.
 
Don’t worry, I don't mean shopping without clothes...I mean shopping without single use packaging!

A client recently told me that because Whole Foods was out of packaged greens, she didn’t get her greens that trip. I leapt at the opportunity to motivate her to SHOP NAKED- to look for the greens that didn’t come in packaging. And, guess what, she totally embraced it!

Shopping naked involves purchasing food that is NOT wrapped in plastic. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s to do your best.

The first tip to shopping naked is to ALWAYS bring your tote bags to the supermarket. I know you have a zillion tote bags at home, but, if you're anything like I am, it can seem like you only remember they exist when you've made it to the check out line without them...

This is why it's important to set yourself up for success. Put bags in your car or by your apartment door or come up with another strategy to remember your bags. (I always carry a small tote in my bag, just in case). You don’t forget your keys, wallet, or phone (or water bottle or coffee cup 😜) when you leave the house; you can remember your bags. (And, sometimes you don’t even need a bag! You can juggle a lot of items in your arms…see below).