Tuesday, September 1, 2009

I'm seeing green, and I like it

No, I didn't win some huge sum of money, or stumble upon a lucrative business adventure ( I wish) but I mean green in the environmental conservation/ reducing carbon footprint sort of way. I was at the store this weekend and seeing what was in people's carts made me smile.


reusable bags with goodies**

Almost everyone I saw had these reusable bags! I know, they aren't the cutest thing, I plan on making myself some stylish ones at some point, but they get the job done for now. I like how sturdy these things are, I don't have to worry about the plastic bags ripping - as they frequently do. And they're big, so you can fit a lot of stuff in 'em, and this means I can make it into my apartment from the car in one trip. Which I will soon appreciate even more since I will no longer have my wheels, and will have to make these trips to the store on my bike or the bus.

What made me even happier was seeing what people were putting IN their carts. Maybe it's because Austin is a hip, healthy town. Or maybe the day I went to the store was the day that all healthy people also do their shopping. Nonetheless, I was pleased to see that there was lots of produce, organic and natural goods. There really wasn't a whole lot of the pre-packaged stuff. Which I find amazing!

And doesn't what we spend our money on at the grocery store send a message to the food companies about the types of things we want to put in our bodies and how we value our health? Absolutely it does! It's like each item is a tic- or vote -about what you are willing to spend your money on, and how important food production, agriculture and the effect of this industry on the environment is to you. Don't you think?

So I had a proud moment this weekend. I was glad that the people of Austin, myself included, are willing to pay an extra buck for the "real stuff". I'm still kinda smiling about it.

**Since they are re-usable, and things like meat, unwashed produce, etc are put in there, and they're kept in the car (where it's warm) so that they are ready anytime you hit the store. . . bacteria can build up. if you do use these bags, give 'em a wash every once in a while to be on the safe side =) **

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