Look for local sustainable food when shopping, products with minimal packaging

Here are some tips from World Wildlife Fund Canada to help you on your next shopping trip:

-Buy local sustainable food when possible. When local sustainable choices are not available, local or sustainable food are greener options.

-Local food is grown close to where it's being consumed, so it doesn't travel far distances to reach our plates. When food is transported over long distances - especially if by planes or trucks that burn fossil fuel energy - it contributes to global warming and pollution.

-Sustainable food is not always local, but is produced in a socially responsible manner, with lower impact on the environment. Sustainable coffee beans, for example, may travel thousands of kilometres to reach your table in Canada, but the coffee is grown on perennial bushes that don't require plowing, which keeps soil carbon stored in the ground.

-Support fair trade when possible. For items that Canada does not produce, consider purchasing fair trade imported products.

-Look for labels. Eco-labels and certification logos can provide you with important information on how and where the food was produced.

-Choose products with minimal packaging. By doing so you can lessen the amount of waste sent to landfills.

Source: WWF-Canada, wwf.ca