Latest Blog Posts | The Green Samaritan

If you haven’t already, take a closer look at those little sticky labels on the fruit and vegetables you buy at the grocery store. Those numbers provide important information regarding just how the produce was grown. So even is something is marked as organic, the sticker will reassure you that it is.

If the label has:

4 digits only: The produce was grown in a conventional manner which means with pesticides and other petroleum based chemicals or fertilizers.

8 + 4 digits: This produce is genetically modified, a GMO. It contains genes that were put there by someone else other than Mother Nature.

9 + 4 digits: This produce has been grown following organic farming practices.

In other words try this for a creative, (or perhaps hokey), attempt to remember:

4 in the store means pesticides knocking at my door.

8 is not at all great with all those GMO’s that I hate.

9 is fresh and fine. Organic and healthy for me and mine.

Now to dovetail the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, also known as the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 list, here’s a handy chart I put together for an easier reference.

Label Number	EWG Shopper’s Guide
4 digits only = Conventional	Clean 15: Lowest in PesticidesOnions, Avocado, Sweet Onions, Pineapple, Mango, Sweet Peas, Asparagus, Kiwi, Cabbage, Eggplant, Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Grapefruit, Sweet Potato, Honeydew Melon
8 + 4 digits = GMO	Absolutely Nothing! Nada! Zip! Zero!
9 + 4 digits = Organic	Dirty Dozen – Best to Buy OrganicCelery, Peaches, Strawberries, Apples, Blueberries, Nectarines, Bell Peppers, Spinach, Kale, Potato, Grapes (Imported)
No label or not sure	EWG Full List: 49 Fruits/Veggies

So don’t go bananas trying to keep up with all this information. Feel free to copy the chart if it will help you on your next trip. And keep these homemade recipes and tips in mind too when it’s time to clean your fruit.

What other kinds of things do you do?

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Continuing on with a monthly green and healthy resolution to implement, in March the goal is to begin and/or increase the practice of using reusable items such as bags and bottles.

Let’s start with moving from disposable to reusable with a few suggested items to get you started.

Plastic water bottles/juice boxes TO stainless steel water bottles. A no brainer for many, but still lots of opportunity for others to save money and reduce the waste by incorporating the use of aluminum or stainless steel bottles and reusable mugs for all beverages. With so many options and sizes out there, it’s easy to find the right style to fit your needs. I have a couple of large aluminum bottles I keep filled up and in the fridge to grab before my early morning workouts and throughout the day, as well as smaller 20 oz bottles for when my kids are on the go. BPA free is the key feature to look for.

Paper/plastic bags TO reusable totes. With a little willpower, you can kick the P&P habit. With over 300 – 400 billion plastic bags distributed every year and 60,000 used every five seconds, that’s a lot of excess stuff going around. Plus the recycle rate is not that great so we see bags flying around the road, in the trees and ocean. With reusable bags being sold just about everywhere, it’s getting easier to implement. Or get crafty and make a tote from an old t-shirt!

Paper napkins/towels TO cloth napkins/towels. You probably have a few around the house anyway so just start using what you have. If not, go to the dollar store or second hand shop for inexpensive options or treat yourself to a nice, new set if that will help get you in the mood! No big deal to toss in a few cloth napkins or dishtowels with the regular laundry.

Plastic baggies TO reusable glass containers and snack/sandwich bags. Though I’m not totally free of plastic baggies, a few favorite items that have helped along the way are these great Fresh Snack Packs for sandwiches and snacks. With their envelope style and velcro closure, it’s easy to pack and clean. Add a fork and cloth napkin for a functional place setting to go.

Plastic straws TO stainless steel straws. With kids, I used to buy gigantic packages of straws but once I got turned on to these stainless steel straws that was the end of that. The kids love them too. Easy to clean, they now have a spot in the drawer with the rest of our stainless serving utensils. Though I was hesitant at first, after a first hand try, Glass Dharma offers a very durable glass straw as another option.

As with any change in behavior or habits, a little concentration and willpower is needed. But once you get in the swing of things and begin to notice the absence of all this waste, you will soon wonder how and why you ever used these kinds of items in the past. Just remember to ask yourself if a disposable item is truly needed. In some cases, it may be but you’ll be surprised at how often you can overcome and get the same result with a much more refined way of doing so.

What are you doing and how have you been successful?

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