Our Greenprints blog collects ideas on how to reduce our ecological footprint. Do you want to share your tips? Simply click on the category you want to post (Energy, Food, Garden, Home, Office or Transport) and post your tip.

Food consumption accounts for 35% of Australia’s ecological footprint and is a great place to start reducing your own footprint.

Posted By: oaatf
Posted On: November 14, 2008

This November 23rd - 29th is Zero Footprint Week. An initiative of the One at a Time Foundation, Zero Footprint Week is an umbrella awareness week that invites individuals, families and businesses to take simple steps to reduce their ecological footprint, save money, and help to halt climate change.

Here are three progressive tips from Zero Footprint Week and the World Wildlife Fund Australia (www.wwf.org.au) to help reduce your ecological footprint at the grocery store.

1. The First Step: Buy Produce that is in Season
If it’s not the right season for bananas or strawberries, chances are they traveled a long distance to get on the shelf.  That extra travel means more petrol and more carbon emissions.  Choosing locally grown produce that is in season is an easy and healthy way to reduce your footprint.

Benefit: Out of season produce is also more expensive.  Choosing local produce in season not only supports local businesses, but can also save you up to $50 a week on food.

2. The Next Step: Choose Less Packaging
Remember that packaging and transport costs account for a sizable portion of the price you pay at the grocery store.  Don’t spend your money on the packaging if you can get more for your dollar and help the environment by choosing items with more food and less plastic.

Benefit: Choosing smaller or less packaged substitutes can be a cheaper option.  More importantly, it can reduce your household waste by helping to avoid purchasing more food than is needed.

3. The Big Step: Eat Less Meat
It takes nearly 16 times as much water to produce one kilogram of beef than it does to produce one kilogram of wheat.  It is easier and cheaper to both transport and process grain or vegetables.  As a result, meat is often more expensive than substitutes in the grocery store.

Benefit: Planning one or two vegetarian meals per week can both save you money as well as reduce the carbon and water aspects of your environmental footprint.

To find your environmental footprint and more tips on how you can best improve it, visit the EPA Victoria’s footprint calculator at http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/ecologicalfootprint/calculators/default.asp.