Sustainability While Shopping
Buy less
Purchasing environmentally friendly products is good but not purchasing any products is significantly better. Focus your shopping on needs instead of wants.
Shop online
Shopping online eliminates your need to drive to a store. However, be careful not to purchase goods that must travel a long way to get to you.
Buy in bulk
Buying products that are packaged in larger quantities reduces the use of packaging material, but only buy what you will use.
Buy local goods
From office equipment to vegetables, buy products that are produced locally. Doing so promotes a healthy local economy and reduces fuel consumption from the transportation of goods.
Avoid #5 plastic
The recycling process for #5 plastic is less efficient than other plastics. Because of the relative inefficiency, many recycling plants do not accept #5 plastic.
Bring a bag
Use reusable bags or a backpack at the grocery store to avoid using plastic bags. The US uses 100 billion plastic bags pre year. That’s roughly 333 bags per year per person—nearly a bag per day! Some places give you a discount for bringing your own bag.
Buy recycled materials
If society recycles, yet doesn’t use the recycled material, the benefits of recycling stop with diverting trash from the landfill. The benefits of producing from recycled material are lost. Buying products made from recycled material will close the recycling loop. It will also make recycling more cost effective.
Buy Energy Star products
Look for the energy star logo on products such as light bulbs, windows, TV’s and air conditioners. Energy Star products might cost a little more up front, but they use significantly less energy than non-Energy Star products.
Buy a fuel-efficient car
When it is time to replace your vehicle, buy a car that suits your needs and is fuel efficient. Some hybrid cars today get around 60 mpg and some models are expected to get around 80 mpg.