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The Environmentally
Conscious Shopper
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| (or how to improve your
environmentally friendly shopping skills) |
by Kate Rachel Lozier
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American shopping has a
huge impact on our Earth and environment. After we are done shopping
and consuming are we being conscious as to what we toss in the garage
can?? After all we can proactively not
purchase certain items that are not good
for our planet.
Here’s a list of pre-cycling tips to help you evaluate your shopping
habits.
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1.
One of the best ways to advocate for the environment is to “speak with
your dollar bills” by shopping at companies that actively help the
environment.
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2.
Purchase goods that are made with recycled materials whenever you can.
Read the label to verify that the goods or the containers are made of a
percentage of recycled materials (post consumer recycled content). Some
examples are printer paper, school and office supplies, paper towels,
toilet paper, fabric, bags, shoes, clothing, food/health/beauty
aids/paper goods containers.
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3.
Purchase items in bulk and avoid purchasing items that are individually
wrapped. Snack packages are handy but they are all individually
wrapped. You will save yourself money and the earth by purchasing a
larger container and dividing up the snacks into reusable containers.
Another example is bottled water – purchase a reusable bottle and fill
it up with water — save yourself a ton of money too!
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4.
Bring those reusable shopping bags everywhere! You
can use your bags at every store, not just the food stores.
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5.
Think carefully before you purchase. Are you really going to use that
item? Is this item a one time use and then you toss it away? Or can you
purchase something else that you can reuse over and over. For example,
instead of using paper towels use cloth rags (recycle the old towels,
flannel nighties, old tee shirts, diapers, etc. into cleaning rags that
you can then wash).
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6.
When you purchase appliances verify that the appliance is Energy Star
rated. This will not only save you money on your energy bills, but will
also reduce your household’s energy uses.
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7.
Purchase downloadable music, books, articles, newspapers, and so on.
Keep your receipts, important documents, pictures, mementos, etc.
electronically whenever you can. (Be sure to make backup copies!) Avoid
printing out everything as you will most likely end up throwing it away.
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8.
Carefully select your cleaning and laundering products. You really
don’t need different types of cleaning products for each room of the
house, as 1 or 2 truly green cleaning products will suffice. Try to
avoid the harsh chemical cleaners. Great Grandma was right when it came
to the cleaning remedies: the basic, natural occurring ingredients
really do the best job.
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9. Be a “Green Advocate” in
all aspects of your life by educating others. Consider spending 5 to 10
minutes a week sending emails to your local, state and federal
representatives on environmental issues.
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| 10. “Precycle” the use of
your car. Join or
create carpools and always combine your shopping trips. Whenever you
can, walk or bike ride to your destination — and you’ll get a great
workout too. Do research and shop online. You don’t need the car and
you won’t wait on line. |
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