Saving the environment has never been so convenient.
This month, the Alachua County Office of Waste Alternatives will launch a campaign to encourage residents to make more environmentally and financially sound decisions while grocery shopping.
Representatives of Alachua County will be at local grocery stores every Thursday in September from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., offering useful information, free reusable shopping bags, jar openers made of recycled tires and "Buy S.M.A.R.T." pocket guides. Representatives will be at local farmers markets during market hours.
According to Jeff Roller, recycling coordinator for Alachua County Public Works Department, the name of the campaign, "Buy S.M.A.R.T." is an acronym for "Save Money And Reduce Trash."
"The main ideas we are trying to get across are "the four R's," Roller said, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink."
Roller said following the campaign's tips for smarter shopping benefits the environment, and have financial benefits too. As an individual, you save money by buying in bulk and reusing products, he said.
"If people take our information to heart and apply it in their everyday shopping decisions, they'll be not only doing the environment a favor but doing their finances a favor." Roller said.
Based on the success of the campaign in the past, Roller believes the community will participate wholeheartedly.
Betty Brunson, Westgate Plaza Publix store manager, said she fully supports the campaign.
"People tend to be willing to pay more for convenience, and they get out of the habit of shopping with knowledge." Brunson said.
Brunson said she has observed Publix shoppers stopping to speak with representatives, receiving free gifts and learning about smart shopping.
"People forget how to shop, how to cook and how to save money," Brunson said, "The campaign is giving people back that knowledge, and I think it's having a strong positive effect on the community."
