Environmental Shopping
There’s much more to environmental shopping than simply doing your shopping at green stores that stock environmentally friendly products. In fact environmental shopping is really about adopting a green consciousness that has to apply to actions we undertake before even setting foot outside the door. Indeed, much of living greenly is about eliminating as much waste as possible, so the first question that needs to be asked is “do I actually need this?” Eliminating purchases of things that we don’t need is the most obvious way to cut down on waste. The second question that one should ask is “Can I buy this good or goods secondhand?” Internet based trading schemes like e-Bay and Freecycle are very easy way of buying pre-loved goods. Home cleaning products have been a traditional source of toxins that are harmful to the environment, but many manufactures are now awake to the demand for green products, so when shopping take care to buy and use non or low toxic biodegradable cleaning products. Natural cleaning products such as salt, vinegar, bicarb soda and lemon juice will not have a deleterious effect on the environment and should be sough where possible. Ensure that the packaging of any products that you buy is made from low-toxic materials that are biodegradable and can be recycled. When replacing products, look to buy refill packs and wherever possible buy in bulk. Buying in bulk avoids numerous trips to the supermarket or produce store. It is also cheaper and avoids unnecessary packaging. Energy savings can be made by being judicious about how you go about homewares and appliances. Look to purchase locally made appliances created from recycled and recyclable materials which use minimal energy to make and run. By checking the energy star rating of any appliance that you buy you will be able to ensure that you’re buying an energy efficient product. Buy flooring, carpets and home furnishings made from locally produced, natural fibres. Some synthetic materials used in soft furnishings, furniture and cars can produce noxious gases during their manufacture and may give off gas over many years of their useful life. When it comes to personal products, it is always possible to choose nappies, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products and the like, that have been made from low-treated natural fibres. Seek to buy pump sprays rather than canned aerosols sprays and always look to re-use pump sprays with purchased refills. This eliminates the problem of difficult disposal and cuts down on energy intensive manufacturing. It’s also possible to do your shopping at green stores (aka eco-friendly or earth stores) which place an emphasis on sourcing organic products that have been produced under sustainable and fair trading conditions.
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