Purchasing
Top tip: To save paper and energy, please don't just automatically print out this page!
Shopping is a national pastime. Yet how many of us actually stop to think about the energy and resources used in producing our purchase; the fuel miles travelled to get to us; the working conditions of the people who made it or the amount of packaging?
As consumers we all have a choice to do something about the enormous environmental, social and economic costs of the products we buy. Historically buying green often meant higher prices. However, at last there is a powerful economic case for sustainable shopping.
Top shopping tips
- Think about whether you really need that mobile phone upgrade or new clothes for that party. Could you reuse or repair what you already have instead?
- Make a list before you go shopping and try to stick to it.
- Look into the production process to see if the manufacturer has good environmental credentials. If not, swap to another supplier.
- Research if the production process is causing any major harm to the environment. For example, cotton is the world’s most polluting crop, responsible for 25% of all pesticide use in the world each year.
- Investigate the method of delivery – is a lorry driving hundreds of miles to deliver one box of stationery? Buy local where you can.
- Analyse the running costs of the product in terms of energy and water consumption.
- Consider whether the product is going to last a long time and once it has reached the end of its life, can you repair or reuse or recycle it?
- Shop in charity shops. Your money goes to a good cause and you're reducing the need for new production.
- Find out where your product has been made and if the producers work in a good working environment.
- Opt for products and packaging that are made from recycled materials.
- Avoid excessive, wasteful packaging – try to buy loose fruit and veg or larger packs rather than lots of smaller individually wrapped ones. If you have to buy products that are packaged, is it easily recyclable, like glass bottles and jars?
- Reuse old plastic bags or buy a bag for life when shopping.
- Look out for the Fair Trade symbol to see if the product has been fairly traded.
The Full Monty
This web page is just a taste of what's on offer!
For more advice, information, links to fantastic websites and background on how you can save pounds whilst saving the planet, download the Toolkit for Sustainable Living in South Lakeland (opens Document Library)
