Why shop greener?

The goods we buy, how, where and even when we buy them can all have different effects on climate change and the environment.

Food and goods miles

Generally, the further the goods we buy have to travel, the more energy is needed to get them to us. Usually, that means burning fossil fuels - a main contributor to climate change.

Most non-perishable foods and non-food items from foreign countries come to us by sea. Transport by sea is one of the most carbon-efficient ways of transporting things.

However, because we transport so much of our goods and materials around the world, emissions from shipping are a major contributor to climate change.

Meanwhile, fresh fruit and vegetables that rot quickly and that are coming from outside Europe frequently travel by air - the most polluting mode of transport.

This is why it is important to try and buy fresh fruit and vegetables in season when they're more likely to have come from local sources.

In short, the less distance the things we buy travel, the better - including how far we travel ourselves to get them.

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Resources cost

The goods we buy also impact on climate change and the environment through the resources used to make them, including all the energy needed to get those resources from nature and to assemble them into usable products.

Buying products that include reused, recycled or materials from sustainable sources or that use less resources overall helps to limit the damage their production causes to the environment.

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Running costs

Many items, like electrical goods, cars and houses, take energy and other resources to run during their lifetime. But even items that appear similar can have different running costs. Fortunately, most electrical items now have energy ratings and vehicles can be assessed by typical miles per gallon of fuel.

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Disposal

At the end of their life, items also incur further energy and resources costs when being disposed of. Items that can be reused or recycled easily, and that do not contain toxic substances are better for the environment.

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