Declare War on Packaging (08/16/08)

Supposedly designed to make our lives easier, the multilayered packaging that envelops many mainstream grocery products can often be more of a hinderance than a help- and, of course, the effect on the environment is wholly negative. Fourtunately, there are numerous ways in which you can help turn the tide. Buy nonperishable items in bulk packages or from bulk bins, bringing your own reusable container. Look for products sold in refillable containers and make the effort to reuse them. Write to the manufacturers of your favorite brands to ask them to provide this kind of packaging, if they don't already. Similarly, point out the madness if you see a blatantly overpackaged product (cellophane-wrapped coconuts, anyone?), let retailers know how you feel. It's likely they'll look again at how their wares are perveiced-it's not in their commercial interests to lose their customers' good will. As a last resort, unwrap excessively packaged purchases in the store and politely ask the staff to deal with the waste. That packaging gets added to the cost of our shopping (supermarket shoppers unwittingly spend a sixth or more of their food budget on packaging), so you've got every right to be annoyed.  (Joanna Yarrow)

Other Tips

11/04/08 Lower Energy Printing	11/03/08 Good Enough To Eat	11/02/08 Reload Your Pinter
11/01/08 Natural Glide	10/31/08 Ripple Effect	10/30/08 What Koalas Never Tell You
10/29/08 Laundry Revolution	10/28/08 Go Blank	10/27/08 Police Your Polystyrene Use
10/26/08 Herbal Hair Happiness	10/25/08 Outdoor Learning	10/24/08 Check Your Air Filter
10/23/08 Look After Your Car and It'll Look After You	10/22/08 Be Label-Conscious	10/21/08 Dress to Impress
10/20/08 Change of Axis	10/19/08 Tip-top Laptop	10/18/08 Expensive Luxury
10/17/08 A Room With A View	10/16/08 Freshen Up Your Home	10/15/08 Flad Drag
10/14/08 Going Postal	10/13/08 Watch Your Screenwash	10/12/08 Living Bouquets
10/11/08 Dispose of Smoke Detectors Smartly	10/10/08 Mix and Mismatch	10/09/08 Use A Trailer
09/14/08 Smart Planting	09/13/08 Screensaver	09/12/08 Clean Without Chlorine
09/11/08 Make A Butterfly Box	09/10/08 One Person's Junk...	09/09/08 Risk-free Lacquer
09/08/08 Unplugged	09/07/08 Bright Idea	09/06/08 Screensaver
09/05/08 Labor and Energy Saving	09/04/08 Buzz Off	09/03/08 Winged Victory
09/02/08 Children's Menu	09/01/08 Glug Down Some Organic Milk	08/31/08 A More Seductive Candlelight
08/30/08 Virtuous Cycle	08/29/08 Don't Be A Butthead	08/28/08 Show Your Cans Who's Boss
08/27/08 Careful With Your Antifreeze	08/26/08 Spot-on Spot Treatment	08/25/08 Sticky labels
08/24/08 Natural Deodorant	08/23/08 Dental Arithmetic	08/22/08 Winds of Change
08/21/08 Clear Winner	08/20/08 Don't Flush it Away	08/19/08 Mobile Phones
08/18/08 Laptops Vs Desktops	08/17/08 Dispose of Disposables	08/15/08 Trash Mob
08/14/08 Try the Hypermiler	08/13/08 Deter Fleas Naturally	08/12/08 Switch it off
08/11/08 Chop on a bamboo board	08/10/08 Walk Your Talk!!	08/09/08 Become a Freecycler
08/08/08 Brass Rubbing	08/07/08 Getting Antsy About Ants	08/06/08 Flat Battery?
08/05/08 Water Saver	08/04/08 Look Before You Leap	08/01/08 Respect your Plastics
07/25/08 Read all about it	07/25/08 Water Torture	07/24/08 Extremely Cool
07/23/08 Lusher Lawns	07/22/08 Kill the Computer	07/21/08 Hidden Charge
07/20/08 Careful Fill-Ups	07/19/08 Green Auto Maintenance	07/18/08 Green Driving Tips
07/17/08 Go Green With Pet Food	07/16/08 Green Renovations	07/15/08 Notebooks
07/14/08 Recycled Paper	07/13/08 DVD and CD Recycling	07/12/08 How do you Figure Your Carbon Footprint?
07/11/08 Jennifer Aniston Interview	07/10/08 Tire Pressure	07/09/08 Answering Machines
07/08/08 Ride The Bike	07/07/08 Less Speed - Huge Savings	07/06/08 Help the Urban Jungle
07/05/08 Extremely Cool	07/04/08 Let It Grow	05/26/08 20 Green Tips
05/23/08 Ways to Save Gas For the Summer	04/08/08 Carpool Tip