Greening Your Consumption Habits: A Simple Guide

photo by Elsie esq.

We are all going to continue to buy stuff. I am not one of those environmentalists that think everyone should sit at home and just read a used book and watch the paint slowly yellow; it’s just not in my nature to be like that. Regardless of what happens around us, we still need to live – we still want to listen to new music, read a new book, get some new clothes. We still want to turn on a light bulb at night or take a hot shower…and I don’t begrudge anyone for doing so. Do you think I want to live in a hovel while contemplating where my next meal is coming from? No way! But there are very simple things we can do, and while I have talked about general steps one can take to be more green, what happens when it is time to go shopping? How can you reconcile your desire for consuming with your desire to be green? Hopefully a few of these will help you balance that equation.

• When buying music, downloads are best. There is no plastic shrink-wrap, no plastic CD case, no paper inserts, and no shipping costs. I know some people like to listen to CD’s in the car, but if you have a portable music player (like an iPod), you can usually get a plug to adapt your car stereo so you can listen to all your music.
• Buy in bulk. I am not talking about buying things in bulk just for the sake of buying in bulk; not everyone needs to shop at Costco for their family. But buying things like cereal, granola, cookies, and candies in bulk from the store saves a lot of packaging. Think of the last time you opened a box of cereal – that paper and plastic box is half empty by the time you get it. You can even bring your own containers to some stores, just have the clerk weigh it first to determine the tare.
• Building on “buy in bulk”, bring your own container. While this pertains to your shopping bags as well, I am mentioning this specifically for buying food from a hot or cold bar in a store. For example, Whole Foods has a wonderful hot bar – but has plastic and paper containers to bring the food home in. My wife asked if she could re-use the plastic containers, and they said yes. So just be sure to wash it out and bring it back next time!
• Buy it used and/or trade for it. This can pertain to clothes, garden tools, snowblowers, baby supplies, etc. When I was growing up, a few of my neighbors shared a snowblower. They all went in on the price, and the one person with the most space to store it got to use it first. But as soon as they were done, it went from house to house. Not only did it save each family money, but it meant that 2 or 3 more snowblowers did not make their way into someone’s garage.
• See if the electric company offers green power. You have to buy power, right? (Unless you live in an earthship, that is) Call your electric company and ask them if you can sign up for green power, which is normally just a few dollars more a month.
• Shop Farmer’s Markets. I know many of you are in colder climates than I am, but when Spring comes around, check to see if there are any markets near you. Buying straight from a farmer cuts out the factory farms, the transportation needs, the packaging needs, and the grocery store markup.
• Recycle electronics when you are done with them. Along with recycling, you could also donate electronics in working condition to Goodwill, or trade them in for other “green” things. For instance, you can trade in your old cell phone for a Terrapass credit!
• Buy hand-made and/or Fair Trade gifts. I cannot tell you how well our hand-made gifts from Ten Thousand Villages went over this past Christmas. We felt great knowing that for some gifts, we were supporting an independent artist who really could use our money, rather than just some factory in China.
• It’s a no-brainer, but buy organic if you can. Organic food is not much (if at all) more expensive than non-organics, but comes without all the pesticides, hormones, etc. And if you don’t do it for yourself, at least buy it for your kids as they are going to be exposed to way more toxic stuff than you and I will be over our lives.
• When buying new clothes, check out lines from Patagonia and REI. Both companies make items which are either partially or fully made from recycled plastic and/or clothing. Patagonia makes a great fleece from plastic bottles – I will write about it someday, I almost wear it daily!
• When you can, buy less. That is the single most important aspect of trying to green your consumption habits, because if you are not buying anything, you are not having an impact on anything. The average American family now has a 3,000 square foot house. Do they need it? Probably not. Buying for the sake of buying not only doesn’t make financial sense; it doesn’t make green sense.
• Buy reusable water bottles – why pay for plastic bottles over and over again?

Shop wise.

You may also like:

1. Some Tips For Greening Your Banking Habits.
2. The Good Human Eco-Friendly Holiday Gift Guide.
3. Easy Green – Simple And Inexpensive Ways To Make An Eco-Difference.
4. Watch ‘The Story Of Stuff’ Online To See Underside Of Our Production & Consumption Habits.
5. Do One Thing: Keep Scraps In The Freezer Until They Hit The Composting Pile.

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