Buying responsibly means thinking about where your goods come from, who makes them and what conditions they’re made in. It means considering how long the item will last, if it is recyclable, and using this information to purchase ethically and environmentally responsible products.
Choosing to buy responsibly reduces waste, and it doesn’t have to be expensive! Buying second-hand is a great way to save money and reducing your environmental impact on the world. If you do decide to buy new, it’s worth taking some time to think about the impacts your decisions may have on the planet.
Tips to start buying responsibly:
- Buy locally: Buying locally helps the environment by reducing the distance your food has to travel and by supporting local businesses you also support the local workforce and economy
- Buy eco-friendly: Express your sustainability values through your everyday shopping and demand more information about what goes into our food and the production of our purchases.
- Consider the packaging: Is it paper or plastic? Can you recycle it? Make sure you’re making purchases from places where sourcing, development, and use of packaging have have minimal environmental impact and footprint.
- Buy Fairtrade: Buying items that have the Fairtrade or FairWear logo ensures a fairer price for workers. Fairtrade Fortnight is a great time to get in the habit of thinking about where things you buy come from.
- Compare ethical credentials: Everything we pay for has an impact on people and the environment, even services like your bank, phone contract, or energy provider. Check out The Good Shopping Guide and Ethical Consumer comparison website that have already done the legwork and score companies for you.
- Shop second-hand: Buying second-hand extends the lifecycle of a product, preventing waste and reducing unnecessary production. Some great online platforms for shopping second hand are: Freecycle, Gumtree, Depop, Vinted, eBay and local facebook groups.
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