My wife, Tina our son, Gabby and I have made grocery shopping once a week a part of our family bonding. We like buying our stuffs from toiletries to laundry and kitchen supplies including bottled and canned goods, fresh meat, poultry and fish from huge stores like Landmark in TriNoma, Shopwise and Rustan’s and SM Supermarket in Araneta Center all in Quezon City. As simple as it is, we really enjoy pushing carts from shelf to shelf getting our weekly needs from our favorite groceries. Convenience spells the difference between a wet and dry public market and airconditioned, mud-and-insect-free supermarkets. Sure you can’t haggle with vendors unlike in the market, but there are a lot of bargains and items on sale in groceries too.
On a budget, this was our cart with four bags of goodies this Wednesday afternoon…
I’m not sure when did SM supermarket start this eco-friendly idea of avoiding the use of plastic bags every Wednesdays but I definitely appreciate it. Even on a once- a-week scheme, everyone is encourage to bring their green bags available at SM for PhP 35 buy-one-take-one. Each bag has printed tag line of “Save a Bag. Save the World.” It also entitles the bearer of SM Advantage (rewards) card to earn 2 points every shopping with those reusable bags. Otherwise, any customer who’ll deny its use, he/she has an option to carry his/her grocery items on carton boxes and paper bags similar to what is being practiced abroad for the longest time.
Other than those green bags from SM, we also have canvass grocery bags from Shopwise which can also be use at all Rustan’s branches.
At work, I never forget to bring my Starbucks tumbler to fill & refill it with water and I avoid using plastic cups which are not biodegradable when crushed, or will take years to decay at least.
Our little cooperation as a family to use these reusable tumblers and grocery bags and segregating garbage will contribute a lot in prolonging the life of our one and only planet. Imagine if all families in all cities within the country will learn to practice this, there will still be trees and fresh air that our children’s childern can enjoy in perpetuity. 
Recycle, reduce, reuse. Be environment friendly!
OPINION COUNTS…