How To Make Shopping Sustainable
As part of our Sustainable Shopping Week, we look at how to make your every day shopping have less impact.
1. Take your own bags
One of the easiest ways to shop sustainably is to take your own reusable bags. This means that you won’t need to buy single-use plastic bags that you will then throw in the bin. If you don’t have a reusable bag, don’t worry as most shops and supermarkets will sell them. Just don’t forget it next time you go shopping.
2. Choose sustainable brands
Before shopping either online or on your high street, do some research on which brands are sustainable. If you choose to shop from a sustainable brand, you will be making a purchase of a product that has made a smaller impact on the environment. Rather than a product from an unsustainable brand that will have a much larger carbon footprint.
3. Shop second hand
You can shop second hand for a range of items, including clothing, homewares and even food. Clothes and homewares can be found in vintage and charity shops, as well as second-hand shops, throughout the UK, and unwanted but edible food can be found on our partner, Olio’s food sharing app: Olio.
4. Avoid sales
The word ‘sale’ excites most people when they are shopping as it is the promise that items are cheaper than they should be. What really happens, however, is you spend more money on several more things you don’t really need, and they end up sitting in a drawer and eventually end up in the bin. Remember, just because something is on sale, it doesn’t mean you need it. On the other hand, if something you have had your eye on for a while is on sale and you know you will use it again and again, then you have found yourself a bargain.
5. Look at an items packaging
Many items we buy are wrapped unnecessarily in plastic which ends up in our bins and then onto landfill sites. Where harmful microplastics leach into our waterways as the plastic breaks down. Many brands are now changing their packaging for more recyclable and sustainable options. When purchasing a product look to see if you can recycle, or even compost, the packaging.
6. Think before you buy
This tip ties in with our avoiding sales tip, as people have the tendency to buy things they don’t need whilst out shopping. This is mainly down to clever marketing strategies that draw you in. Before you purchase any item, ask yourself: do you really need it, are you going to use it multiple times, and is it a sustainable purchase?
Check out the rest of Sustainable Shopping Week, including our full guide by Charity Shop Girl at www.GoingGreen.co.uk
