124. Reuse shopping bags. It was
estimated that in the USA alone the
number of plastic bags used reaches 100
billion units. Most of them are nonbiodegradable
and end up in the landfills.
125. Use multi-reusable shopping bags
such as jute bags or those made from
other woven materials.
126. If you drive a car to the shop, don't
buy reusable bags and don't use plastic
bags. Forget about bags. Make a wooden
crate that fits your car's boot (or buy a
shopping crate). In this case you don't
need any bags whatsoever. Just roll your shopping trolley to your car and shift grocery into the
crate.
127. Change your shopping habits. Don't buy something just for shopping's sake. Buy only things
that you really like/want/need.
128. Always check the country of origin of a product you buy. Base your shopping decisions on
this table. You should limit buying products that are made in countries which strongly rely on coal
power for electricity generation... unless you live in the country of producer.
129. Avoid the labels that read "produced in more than one country" or "blend of EU and non-EU
product" and similar. Avoid them like a plague. In some cases the producers use this method to
mix a bad product with a good one in order to get rid of the bad product and avoid losses.
130. When it comes to food buy only local produce (unless you live so far North that your country
cannot grow vegetables). It makes no sense buying imported tomatoes while your farmers are
starving and struggling to sell their produce.
131. Support your local businesses and producers. By doing that, you make your local community
stronger and pave the future for your children. Otherwise they will have limited employment
options when they grow up because all manufacturing businesses will be sold away to the foreign
investors.
132. Buy only FSC or PEFC certified paper. To make one ton of paper 18 mature trees will have to
be cut down. If the forest is properly managed and it has received a certificate, cutting trees is not
a problem because new trees are planted. There are countries that don't want to recognize the
certification; and the non-certified paper usually comes from those countries. Our local
businessmen are forced to comply with the rules, acquire knowledge and invest money in
certification. Be fair to the people who care about the environment and invest their money and
time to gain the certificates!
133. If buying books from bookshops check where the book was printed. If it is printed in an
exotic country, the publisher is just trying to cut his costs at the expense of the environment. The
book is likely to have been printed on a non-certified paper and it has, of course, done many
miles. Don't buy a book like that.
134. Buy only FSC or PEFC certified furniture. Check the paper tip for the reasons why.
135. Better still, buy reused / 2nd hand furniture. Think about grey energy (energy that is
consumed in a factory to produce the item). New furniture has a relatively high level of grey
energy. Reused furniture has none.
136. Never buy furniture made from MDF and other types of chipboard. These materials emit
formaldehydes and other organic compounds that can cause asthma and other health conditions.
If you have chipboard furniture at home, get rid of it at the first convenience.
137. Check the packaging before buying a product. Is it recyclable packaging? Look for this
symbol. 1, 2 and 3 inside the symbol means that the producer cares about the environment. The
1, 2, 3 are plastics that are widely recycled almost anywhere in the world. Another good packing
material is cardboard. It is sometimes marked with a number 21 but you can feel the cardboard as
you pick it up.
138. Bottled water is probably one of the biggest legal scams on the planet. Drink boiled or
filtered water and save the resources that go into producing all those extra plastic bottles.
139. When travelling or going out take filtered water with you in a bikers/tourist flask. In certain
venues a pint-size plastic bottle of water can cost around £2. Water certainly doesn't cost so much.
Avoid supporting unfair prices.
140. Having a day out? Pack some self-made sandwiches and fruit and take it with you. Junk food
is unhealthy and expensive.
141. Limit the use of disposable plastic plates. Buy starch-based disposable plates (they are
biodegradable) or use ceramic reusable ware.
142. Plan your family meals so that you buy the exact amount of food that can be consumed.
Brits throw away 8.3 million tons of food every year. That’s around £12 billion worth of stuff. Don't
be one of them.
143. If you happen to have bought too much and some foodstuff gets thrown away, make sure
you wrap it properly and close the lid of your wheelie-bin so that vermin like rats and seagulls
cannot reach the food.
144. Buy in bulk but check the expiry date. Buying in bulk saves money and packaging but it
makes no sense if you end up throwing food away.
145. Observe the 3 Rs of environmental lifestyle. Those are Reduce-Reuse-Recycle:
146. Reduce. Get the consumerism out of your head and reduce consumption. Don't compromise
on your lifestyle though. You can continue enjoying good things in life just remember that
shopping is not a sport. It is simply a way to obtain necessary goods.
147. Reuse. You can reuse and adapt things you already have. If you cannot reuse it give it away
to somebody who can. Donate your unwanted things to charity or announce it on the Freegle.
148. Recycle. If something is so tatty that it cannot be given away, recycle it. Start sorting your
rubbish right now and you'll make a great deal of difference for the environment.
149. How about a rural lifestyle? The current rate of urbanization really puts too much strain on
the environment, so if you like to be close to the Nature, don't move to the city.
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