Low Impact

I’m just back from my regular trip to the shops. I live about 1.5 kilometres from my local shops, and whenever possible I do it on foot.

I see a lot of people in my neighbourhood driving to and from the shops, and I can see their point. When you finish a big shopping expedition for the entire week’s groceries, that can result in a lot of weight to cart back home. So much more appealing to be able to throw all those bags into the back of the car and drive home in climate-controlled comfort!

To deal with this, I do our shopping more regularly – usually 2 or 3 times a week. This means I buy less on each shopping trip, so the weight I have to carry is far more manageable. In fact its got to the stage where I far prefer walking to the shops than driving – there’s a whole collection of benefits:

• Petrol and Parking. Even with such a comparatively short distance to the shops, the sky-rocketing price of petrol means that it starts to add up. That 3km round trip uses around 50c worth of petrol. Add to that the $1.00 for parking, and you’re looking at $75 a year for a weekly car trip to the shops. As an added bonus, my walking trips are free of the entire stress of endless circling around the car park, looking for a spot that’s “nice and close to the store”, whilst simultaneously avoiding fender-benders at every turn!

• Healthy eating, and less packaging. If it’s just me doing the shopping, the fact that I only have 2 arms limits me to 2 bags of shopping (I was a Maths major at uni…). And while I’m a confessed Salt & Vinegar Crisps addict, a bag of chips takes up a large chunk of my carrying capacity! So, my shopping basket ends up containing just what I came for, rather than a whole pile of impulse items. It also means that I avoid the product that’s on a plastic tray, surrounded by cardboard, then with a triple-layer of cling-wrap. Simply wrapped goods with a minimum of packaging are not only a lot better for the environment, but a lot easier for me to carry home.

• A better relationship! Often my wife will walk to the shops with me. Not only does this mean that we can carry back an extra bag of shopping (*grin*), but its a great chance to chat about our day at work and our plans for the week, or the happenings of the world. In the car, the driver is usually more focussed on finding that perfect car spot or dodging kamikaze pedestrians than having a conversation. Walking along a footpath is a far more companionable way to travel to the shops!

• Zen and “me time”. It takes around 10-15 minutes for me to walk to the shops, depending on whether I’m ambling or power-walking. Its a great opportunity to plug in my iPod and catch up on the podcasts that I subscribe to, or listen to my much-neglected music collection. Or I leave the iPod at home and just take in the sights and sounds of the neighbourhood – its amazing how much more you take in when you’re not behind the wheel of car.

• Free exercise! The walk to the shops is a great aerobic workout, as I power walk to the store. The walk back is more a weights exercise, as I carry back the bags loaded up with shopping. Who needs the gym – I must be saving a fortune in gym membership fees!

Ditching the car for the shopping trip isn’t only for people who live right next to the store. Riding your bicycle shares all of the above advantages with walking, but means you can travel a lot further. A humble backpack will allow you to carry home those basic groceries like some milk or bread. Or, your friendly local bike store can set you up with a range of grocery carrying accessories. These include a metal basket over the back wheel (my wife’s bike has a basket that snugly holds one green bag full of groceries), pannier bags, or for the shop-a-holics, an entire bicycle trailer that you can unclip at your destination and convert into a shopping trolley!

It’s worth seeing if you can get to the shops without your car. Not only will you lower your environmental impact in terms of less petrol and packaging, but you might find it makes that weekly chore a little more enjoyable!

Categories: environment, green, transport

Tags: cycling, green bags, packaging, shopping, transport, walking