When you’re at the supermarket trying to figure out what to feed your family, it can be hard to be conscious of your impact on the environment. But from the excess goods to the electricity powering the lights and the bags carrying your purchases, food shopping can produce a lot of waste. The people behind these shops are all too familiar with the pitfalls of food sales. Some have long been focused on mitigating the harm they cause the planet, and others are starting to pay attention.
The Whole Earth Center in Princeton is a not-for-profit natural grocery store that sells only organic produce, and encourages its customers to bring their own containers so they can buy items packaged in bulk. While the “green” movement has picked up a lot of steam in the past few years, the center has been observing those very practices since a group of Princeton residents founded Whole Earth four decades ago with two goals in mind — to sell organic produce and to educate the public.

For Milly King a rainy day is something to smile about. At her home near the Great Road in Princeton Township rainwater is put to good use.

Ms. King uses a custom system of copper water chain and underground cistern designed by Anthony Canamucio of Bell’acqua Associates in Newtown, Pa., to collect rainwater, funnel it to the dry portions of her yard, and even use it to water her patio plants and other gardens.

Attractive and functional, Ms. King’s system combines the grace of a fountain with the ability to collect up to 150 gallons of rainwater.

On average, an 800-square-foot roof can produce more than 500 gallons of runoff for every 1 inch of rain that falls on it, according to the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Water Resources Program. Capturing this rainfall saves water, saves money and helps reduce pollution in local waterways.

With a wealth of consignment shops in the area, it’s easy to put together a complete outfit at a modest budget

I should have known that the first thing I would touch at the Princeton Consignment Boutique would be couture, lovely and expensive. The venerable store, just off Route 206 in Skillman, is a haven for fine, gently used designer clothing and accessories, things that tasteful consigners have entrusted to this shop for several decades.

Manager Lamis Faris says she has been “green” since she was born, and that’s kept her in this business for so over, pure alpaca wool by the Peruvian Connection — you know, that catalog filled with pictures of gorgeous people wearing luxurious alpaca and woolens?

I caressed the folds of the pullover and lifted it to try on (so heavy!), checking the price tag. Uh oh. This was supposed to be an effort in thrift.

My mission was to visit various consignment shops in the area and put an outfit together, something seasonally transi­tional, for a modest budget. I would be busy, too, considering Princeton Consignment Boutique has plenty of accessories, including handbags from the likes of Louis Vuitton and Gucci.