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We all know that going green can save the planet – but did you know it can also save you money? With a few simple eco-friendly shopping tips, you can lower your carbon footprint AND your grocery bill. Perhaps you have already thought about using reusable shopping bags, but there is much more to consider! Here are nine tips to get you started.

1. Use Reusable Shopping Bags

If you're like most people, you probably have a few plastic bags in your kitchen, garage, by the curb, and so on, waiting to be recycled. Instead of using disposable plastic bags, consider using reusable shopping bags such as foldable reusable shopping bags and other products, which make it easy to reuse the same bag.

This way, you are not causing unnecessary waste by using too much plastic or buying plastic bags if you are in a jurisdiction that has started doing this. In both a monetary and environmental sense, using reusable shopping bags is the simplest means of shopping in a more eco-friendly matter.

2. Buy From Local Suppliers

The concept of buying local is nothing new, but in recent years, it's grown in popularity. Many consumers today are seeking out products made by small businesses in their communities or states instead of those shipped from around the world. In addition to supporting your own community, you'll also be saving money. By shopping locally, you can often find deals on high-quality goods that are unavailable online.

Best of all, you can do your part to stop the unnecessary use of fossil fuels that transportation produces and the pollution it causes. As an added bonus, you'll be supporting small businesses that are doing their part to save the environment.

3. Consider the Brand

Before you buy a product, the first thing you should do is look at the brand itself. This will often be the first real test of quality. When you know the brand, you can then start to look at their production and transportation processes.

With this data in mind, you can better understand the company's social responsibility efforts and how they align with your own values. This can help you determine whether or not to support them. Once you buy their product, you can then break out your foldable reusable shopping bags to better promote eco-friendly practices.

4. Buy Used Instead of New

Buying used products instead of new products can be an effective way to combat the purchase of disposable goods and reduce your carbon footprint. In addition to fighting the disposable lifestyle, used products can also save you money in the long run.

The main idea here is that when you buy used, you cut back on the use of the resources needed to facilitate a sale. Since the product has already gone through the production and shipping process once, those who buy used will save extra use of resources that are otherwise unnecessary.

5. Check the Packaging

The packaging of a product says a lot about how eco-friendly the team is. Check to see if the packaging will help the use of reusable shopping bags, what kind of material it is made out of, and so on. A big red flag will be if you notice plastics in the packaging, for example.

6. Shop Less Frequently

Do you shop frequently? According to Statista, the average American makes about 1.6 trips to the grocery store each week. And for many people, it's not uncommon to make several trips per week. However, we can waste a lot of money on groceries by buying more than we need and by shopping when we're not hungry.

In addition, the extra use of gas to get to the grocery store and back creates unnecessary waste. For best results, go once a week with your foldable reusable shopping bags and cut back on unnecessary trips to the store.

7. Buy Products that Are In-Season

Eco-friendly shopping can save you money, but it's not always easy to know when to buy products that are in season. For example, if it is winter where you live and there is snow on the ground, don't buy watermelons or other tropical fruits! Instead, focus on products that are sent to you in a more environmentally-friendly fashion.

8. Look at the Product Itself

When you are at the grocery store, you will be faced with tons of decisions at the same time. Sometimes, you won't have much time to consider your options. After all, you don't want to be at the grocery store all day. For this reason, you should look at the product to know whether or not you can immediately shortlist it.

For example, imagine that you have $5 left in your budget and are wanting to get some meat for dinner. You can choose between locally-harvested beef or frozen fish cuts from Hawaii. In this instance, getting the locally-grown beef is a good pick.

9. Don't Impulse Buy

Impulse buying is one of the biggest potential causes of waste. When you are in the grocery store, getting swept up in a feeling of "urgency" and buying something that will alleviate your stress is easy. Instead of using food as a means of distraction, you should look at it purely as a necessity of life and only buy what you need.

Need Some More Reusable Bags at a Bulk Rate?

When shopping, it's easy to fall into the trap of buying things we don't need. But by remembering these nine eco-friendly shopping tips, you can still save money while doing your part to reduce pollution and waste. In addition, if you want to get some new foldable reusable shopping bags, be sure to check out our catalog here at Prime Line Retail!