7 Tips for Greener Shopping

I was interviewed recently by the mom shopping expert Chele at Moms Love ShoppingMoms Loves Shopping and it is now available for listening here. We talked about the plastics habit, inverse quarantine and the book Shopping Our Way to Safety, and I shared the 7 questions you need to ask yourself in order to shop green. You MUST go and listen to the interview but here is the cliff notes version of my seven tips:

1. Do I really need and want this – can I get by without it? Sometimes the answer might be to STOP shopping.

2. Is it made from renewable, or nonrenewable resources? We are always going to want to choose renewable resources where we can. Also, no renewable resource are used to ship items around the world so shopping locally is VERY helpful and it supports your local economy.

3. Is it made of recycled materials and is it recyclable? Buy products that come in containers you know you will be able to recycle later on.

4. Can it be maintained and repaired? Or is it one of those products that once it breaks you pretty much have to throw it out and buy new.

5. Could I borrow, rent or buy it secondhand?

6. Is it overpackaged? It is wrapped in plastic and then wrapped again a cardboard box?

7. Can it be reused?

I hope you enjoy the interview…thanks Chele for asking me to come and chat with you!