Easy Eco-Tip: Buy Meat from the Butcher

Every time I come home with something in styrofoam I just cringe. Styrofoam (or polystyrene) is one of the worst plastics around. Not only does styrene, the building block of styrofoam, cause brain and nervous system disorders, but the icky material does not biodegrade and is rarely recycled. One place where styrofoam sometimes creeps into my life is when I buy meat at the grocery store. Ready-to-buy packages of chicken breasts, pork chops or other meats almost always have a styrofoam tray on the bottom. What can you do to avoid styrofoam in meat packages? Buy meat at your local butcher or the meat counter at your grocery store or food co-op. They will wrap it up in butcher paper instead. Not only do you skip the styro but I’m betting that the meat’s fresher too. Win-Win! I’m trying harder to avoid styrofoam and buy meat packaged in butcher paper – how about you? (Image credit: cafemom via flickr)

8 Comments

  1. Roxanne @Theholisticmama says:

    That is true! Wow, I never even put much thought into that but you are right. Most of our meat we get from an Amish farm that delivers to our town so they do not use any of that stuff but occasionally I buy from Whole Foods and its always in that styrofoam packaging. Now I need to find a butcher!

  2. Hi Roxanne – How nice that you buy meat from an Amish farm! For the rest, check with the meat counter at Whole Foods – the one in my town wraps in butcher paper when you buy directly from the counter.

  3. Hi Jennie – glad you agree – thanks for stopping by!

  4. san francisco scrap metal recycling says:

    Or just don’t buy meat lol

  5. Sure – no meat at all is a great help to the planet!! But since that isn't a realistic plan for many people, I like to propose ideas that make our meat purchases a little bit better for the planet. I personally go meat-free quite often and if I lived alone would probably be mostly vegetarian….but I cook to please the entire family! 🙂

     

  6. air blast freezer says:

    Most of our meat they get from an Amish farm that delivers to our town so they do not use any of that stuff but occasionally I buy from Whole Foods and its always in that styrofoam packaging. Now I require to discover a butcher!

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