Waste free trip to the Butcher Shop

I invited my friend Keith and his new girlfriend over for lunch on Saturday. Wondering what I should cook, I thought hmmm, guys like steak right?  Not knowing that steak isn't something that people generally eat for lunch (I plead ignorant because I don't eat meat), I set off to the butcher shop.

Trevor, being the wonderful husband
he is, appeased me by posing for this shot.

Even though we haven't officially started the challenge, I just couldn't wait to try out this new way of shopping.  I proudly walked into Summit Gourmet Meats with my containers and shopping bag and asked the clerk if she would put the meat in my container? She replied that she would.

It felt so good when they filled my containers and said "Everyone should bring their own containers."  When I explained what I was doing, the guy behind the counter repeated "Everyone should do that (go waste free)." Hmm, I wonder if this guy working at the butcher will spread the word about our challenge?  I wonder if he will start taking his own containers shopping?

It is so easy to bring a container to the shop and makes me wonder why I never did it before? And why is our society so obsessed with packaging?

Which reminds me of this story that my friend Emma has told me.  It is a bit off topic but makes me laugh every time I hear it so I think I will share.  Emma and I lived together in Thailand for a couple of years. If you have ever been to Thailand you will be able to relate.  Thais put everything in a plastic bag, even soda and coffee! Anyways, I digress.

Emma used to buy a bagel-like breakfast sandwich on her way to work everyday from the same street vendor.  Every time she would ask the lady to just hand it to her without the wrapper or bag because she was just going to eat it.  But the lady would wrap it anyways and put it in a bag.  Emma would try to grab the bagel from the lady and say in her posh English accent, "Just give it to me, I just want to eat it!"

It got to the point where the lady would see Emma coming down the street and have the bagel wrapped and bagged before Emma could even get close. I don't know why Emma didn't just find another vendor,  I imagine that it was probably the only one she passed on the way to work.

Emma is a great storyteller so you really must hear it from her to appreciate the humour.  But the point I want to make is that we can all make choices that leave less of a footprint on our Earth.  I will eliminate our family's waste to landfill by shopping at the places that will allow me to, like Summit Gourmet Meats and Fratelli Foods.  I won't buy the bagel from the street vendor who insists on double bagging the sandwich because that is her 'policy'.  Sooner or later things are going to change. They have to. For Eli's sake. ;)