Consume less, waste less!
A fair old chunk of your carbon footprint comes from the goods you buy. It’s mainly the indirect CO2 emissions caused by making the goods and transporting them to you.
Follow our simple tips for sustainable shopping and be a more climate-savvy shopper!
Ethical shopping
What should you look out for when trying to find products and brands that are ‘ethical’ or ‘sustainable’?
Ethical Consumer, based in Manchester, can help! This independent, not-for-profit organisation has buying guides on their website for everything from shampoo to walking boots.
Each guide outlines the potential issues with each product, and rates companies on different aspects of their ethics, including the environment and sustainability.
To get started, choose from the types of products on their website homepage.
1. Consume less
Our top tip is perhaps a bit obvious… buy less new stuff.
When temptation comes knocking, get in the habit of questioning whether you really need it.
2 Don't buy new
OK, so you’ve decided you need it. Does it have to be new? Re-using a secondhand item is generally best from a climate change point of view, because most of the carbon emissions in products are caused by making them in the first place. The more they can be re-used, the better.
There are so many ways to find good quality secondhand goods these days, with buy-and-sell groups on Facebook, websites like Gumtree and eBay, charity shops, shops selling upcycled goods and antiques and salvage yards.
Here in Cumbria we’re also lucky to have a thriving Freegle network. Freegle is a website and app where you list things you don’t want any more or ask for things you need.
3. Repair more
Getting broken items fixed is a great way to avoid buying a new product, while also earning double green points by keeping goods out of landfill.
These days, the cost of a repair can be almost as much as buying a new product (or sometimes even more!), so it’s tempting to swap old for new.
But all is not lost! Visit our section on reducing waste to find out more about repairing things, including free services here in Cumbria.
4. Choose sustainability
Choose suppliers who have sustainability at heart.
When you’re deciding between suppliers, have a look at their sustainability policy. Some will even have a link to their sustainability or ethics policy on their homepage, as they know it can make them stand out from the competition.
The Ethical Consumer website is also a great source of information about companies and products – see the Ethical Shopping section above.
5. Shop locally
Can you find a local supplier for the product you want?
There are lots of good reasons for shopping locally, including from a climate change point of view. If we make the assumption that a local supplier’s manufacturing processes are no more carbon intensive than anyone else’s, then there’s an opportunity to reduce the miles your product is transported.