The Transition Waste Reduction Guild sent in this information. San Juan Islanders can take steps in their daily life to minimize plastic use and waste. With a curious, can-do mindset and a little know-how, you can live more sustainably, supporting the health and beyond.
SAN JUAN ISLAND FOOD CO-OP
olive, sunflower oil, apple cider vinegar • spices
oats, sugar, flour, nutritional yeast • granola, popcorn
nuts, seeds, rice, whole grain
MILK IN RETURNABLE GLASS BOTTLES
Besides the obvious benefits of buying food from local farmers, most fruits and vegetables sold at the farmers market are not put in plastic. If items are in a plastic bag, most farmers are happy to make a switch for you by placing the items in your own bag and in turn saving themselves a bag too!
When you stop in at a local farm shop, there is even more opportunity to walk away with incredible produce and no plastic bags. Again, it’s also a wonderful chance to talk to and get to know your local farmers.
BRING YOUR OWN TO-GO ITEMS
Incredible strides had been made in ditching the mindset and habit of using to-go coffee cups, plastic straws and take-out containers. Then, COVID hit and concerns about transmission reversed this progress. Let’s get back to bringing our own containers!
BRING YOUR OWN REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS! BRING YOUR OWN COFFEE MUG!
BRING YOUR OWN REUSABLE UTENSILS!
BRING YOUR OWN CONTAINERS FOR TAKE-OUT FOOD!
MAKE BETTER CHOICES AT THE GROCERY STORE
As Americans, we’re very used to convenience and the idea that we can and should buy whatever we want. Companies vying for our money really want to keep it that way. On the other hand, the power we have as consumers can be used for good – by making good choices. Money talks; our demand and purchasing decisions drive what goes on the shelves. Let’s consider the packaging material as we are deciding whether or not to buy a particular item.
Here are some examples of conscientious choices:
KNOW YOUR RECYCLING AND TAKE PROPER CARE
If you feel dubious whenever you place items into the recycle bin, you’re not alone and you have good reason. Recycling is a very imperfect and troubled business. While we feel better placing items in the recycle bin rather than the trash can, most recycling ends up there anyway.
Here are the top reasons why:
Federico Farm is offering a drop-off food composting program that uses fermentation to break down food matter. Composting bins can be purchased for a one-time charge of $20 and $5 for a bag of inoculant that assists in the breakdown of food. Once your bin is full bring it to Federico Farm and dump it into the compost bins. Repeat.
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