Shop Locally to Reduce Waste and Pollution

Shopping locally reduces waste and pollution

We’re entering a whole new season which means that the stands at your local farmers market are going to look a lot different. Shopping locally and cooking with seasonal foods will not only keep your diet interesting and varied but will help to reduce waste and pollution. Here’s why shopping locally and cooking seasonally is good for you and the planet.

Shopping locally

Shop locally to reduce wasteShopping for produce at your local farmers market has a multitude of benefits. Shopping for local produce is good for your physical and mental health, good for your community, and good for the planet. It’s the ultimate way to practice the concept “Think Globally, Act Locally.” What we do at home can have worldwide implications, especially on the climate and our planet.

Reduce waste

The less your produce has to travel, the less waste is produced, and smaller the environmental impact. Shorter transportation times from the local farm to the market is going to save water, reduce gas use and pollution, packaging, and spoiled food waste. When farmers transport their produce to the market, they use reusable crates and containers, and they don’t have those wasteful plastic bags that you have at the grocery store. Plus, the longer your product has to travel, the more chances there are for food to spoil and become wasted. Shorter travel time means that more produce makes it to your house, and not in the trash.

Healthier products

When you buy food that is in-season you are getting the highest quality. Buying foods that are out of season are often priced higher because they are harder to produce, or they have to travel further. Seasonal produce from local farmers may cost a little more than average, but they make up for it in nutritional value and reduced environmental impact.

Support your community

Seasonal produce reduces wasteWhen you buy locally you are supporting your community. Supporting local farmers will allow them to improve and increase their crop, giving your a bigger variety, and better products in the future. Plus, when you shop at a farmers market, you know exactly what you are getting, and who you are getting it from so you are better able to control ingredients for a healthier lifestyle.

Improves your mental health

Going to the farmers market will make you feel good, improving your mental health. Simply being outside while you’re shopping is good for your mental and physical health. The social interactions associated with shopping at your local farmers market should also not be discounted. You get to know your neighbors and become more emotionally invested in your community. Being social is good for your health.

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