Tips on greener shopping

From food to wood, we can all make a big difference to climate change and the environment if we choose carefully what, when and how we buy things.

It needn't cost you any extra - in fact, buying greener could save you money!

Food miles

Read the label - where has your food come from? In general, the more local the food you buy is, the better it will be for the climate and the environment.

While it can be argued that organic farming techniques are better for the environment, it's doubtful whether organic produce that's had to be airlifted from distant countries is any better for the planet than local, non-organic produce. Local organic produce is fine.

Buying local fruit, vegetables, lamb and fish in season also helps ensure it won't have travelled as far and supports local producers and food distribution networks.

As an added bonus, local food especially fruit and vegetables are usually fresher and therefore more nutritious.

Food packaging

To cut down on wasted packaging, buy fruit and vegetables loose if you can. Go even further by not even using bags provided for loose fruit and vegetables while you shop and take carrier bags with you when you go.

There are major savings to be had if you can buy direct from growers and producers and you could avoid lots of unnecessary packaging at the same time. A 25kg sack of spuds bought direct from a farm, for example, can cost the same as just 5kg bought from a supermarket!

Try to avoid buying multi-packs of individually packaged food items - look for bulk packs with only one layer of packaging instead.

General packaging

When buying items of any kind, look for those that come in the smallest amount of packaging and that use recycled and recyclable materials for any necessary packaging.

Try to buy liquids and powders in bulk and refill reusable containers with the products as you need them.

Avoid buying multi-packs of individually packaged items. As with food packaging, try to find bulk packs with only one layer of packaging instead.

Product miles

As with food miles, the further products travel, the more fuel will be burnt getting them to you. Try to buy goods produced locally, in the UK or within Europe.

Home deliveries

Why not have your groceries delivered to your door rather than jumping in the car yourself. By doing one big shop rather than multi-trips you’ll save money on petrol. Plus just think how much time you could save ordering your groceries online rather than trailing round all those aisles.

Home delivery also means no more carrier bags. Plus only one vehicle delivering groceries for multiple customers means fewer emissions per shopping trip helping clean up your carbon footprint!

Second hand and recycled goods

Buying second hand saves the planet having to stump up the materials to create new items and is usually a lot cheaper than buying new.

Buying products that use recycled materials saves some of the energy and resource costs of getting raw materials from nature and also helps support and develop the markets for recycled materials.

Some items, like fridges and washing machines, may be better for the environment if bought new. This is because older versions of these products may not be as energy-efficient because of their age or how they were made.

Find recycled products online with Sort It.

Electrical goods

Check energy-efficiency ratings on any new goods you are buying. New items like dishwashers, washing machines, fridges and freezers should all have an energy-efficiency rating displayed on them. This is represented by letters, with "A++ rating" being the best of all. The Energy Saving Trust's Energy Saving Recommended label is one to watch for too.

Read more about energy-efficiency labels at the Energy Saving Trust.

Though A-rated items may be more expensive to buy, they should pay back the difference through lower running costs over their lifetime.

Another feature to look out for is "auto-off". Televisions, DVD players and music systems with this feature switch themselves off when not in use. Clothes irons often come with this option, which also makes them safer and less likely to cause a fire.

Lastly, check how easy it is to switch it off properly, rather than put it on "standby". Items left in standby mode still use power.

Items you can switch off completely using the remote or a switch on the front are best - we're much more likely to switch them off that way than if we have to go all the way to the plug to do so. Remember, even if you are not thinking of buying any new electrical items you can still reduce your power bills by making sure the things you already own are switched off at the wall.

Get energy ratings for 1000s of appliances at the Energy Saving Trust

Clothing

The cotton used in much of our clothing today takes enormous quantities of water, fertilisers, pesticides and fuel to produce. Cotton production also uses up vast areas of valuable agricultural land that could be used to grow food.

Synthetic fibres are often made from oil and, even when they are from plant materials (as with viscose or rayon), take lots of energy and chemicals to make into cloth.

Buying clothes second hand saves all of the energy and materials needed for production, while organic cottons are produced with little or greatly reduced use of fertilisers and pesticides.

One of the best and most environmentally-friendly fibres available is wool (though do check to see where it came from - UK wool is best).

Reusable and long-life items

Always try to find reusable items rather than single-use disposable ones.

Try also to find items that will last longest in use. Check specification sheets for items such as printers, faxes and photocopiers. Usually, they will have a "duty cycle" number - the higher the number, the longer the manufacturer expects it to last before breaking down.

Concentrates and powders

Concentrated and "just add water" powdered or tablet-form products help the environment by avoiding the need to transport extra water around - we can all get water from the tap after all!

Wooden products and timber

Wood is Nature's own material. As trees grow they help climate change by absorbing CO₂ and storing it away.

Wood is the ultimate sustainable material. We grow it, we use it, we grow more. Substituting a cubic metre of wood for other building materials can save almost two tonnes of CO₂.

When buying wooden products or timber for DIY, always buy wood that's come from sustainable managed sources - look for an approved mark such as the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) mark or similar.

Visit the Forestry Stewardship Council website.

New cars

There's an increasing range of more fuel-efficient and alternative-fuelled vehicles on the market that can help the environment and save you money - on fuel bills and road tax.

Though smaller engine sizes usually burn less fuel per mile than larger ones, check their fuel efficiency when looking at new cars.

Read more car-buying tips from the Energy Saving Trust.

Read more tips for greener transport and travel.

"Do I really need that shiny new thing (or do I just want it)?"

Things break, technology becomes obsolete, clothes wear out, food gets eaten, so there's often no alternative to going shopping for replacement items. But we're all guilty sometimes of buying things we don't really need.

Before you get your wallet out, wait a day or two, try walking out of the shop and around the block or put the computer to sleep and have a cup of tea. When you're done it won't seem like the "must have" item you thought it was.

Support eco-friendly businesses

Why not choose to seek out and support local eco-friendly businesses? By supporting green shops, attractions and facilities you can help reduce your carbon footprint. Making ethical shopping choices can also help encourage other businesses to adopt ethical practices.

The Little Green Map helps residents and visitors to Edinburgh find participating local green businesses.

Find out more about Little Green map

Grow Your Own

Why buy your food at the shops at all, when you can grow your own fruit and vegetables? This will cut down on packaging, and certainly reduce your food miles. You'll be eating seasonally too, instead of produce that has been forced in hothouses - after all, strawberries aren't really meant to be available in winter!

You don't have to be an expert gardener, and you don't even need a garden to get started - you can grow herbs in a window box, tomatoes in a sunny room or potatoes in containers on the patio. Or you could get an allotment or volunteer at a community garden.

For more information contact:

Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens - www.farmgarden.org.uk/scotland
Scottish Allotment and Gardens Society - www.sags.org.uk
Trellis (Scottish Therapeutic Gardens Network) - www.trellisscotland.org.uk

Go Greener