shopping facts

• The equivalent of 30kg of energy, raw materials and packaging are used to make every kilogramme of products we buy.
• Australians used 3.9 billion plastic bags in 2006. (But there's some good news: that was down from 5.95 billion in 2002.)
• Half of household rubbish by volume is packaging.

shopping: key steps

• Borrow or share it. Get books from a library, hire tools and DVDs, and set up a tool sharing scheme with neighbours.
• Buy things that last. Buy quality and avoid disposable products.
• Buy local. Shop locally (so you travel less) and buy locally produced goods (so they travel less).
• Buy from green retailers. It helps them grow.
• Buy recycled products. Otherwise there's no incentive to recycle.
• Buy second-hand. Explore local charity shops, local classifieds, garage sales, eBay, etc.

want to do more?

• Shop online: postal deliveries or delivery rounds involve less transport than every customer driving to a shop.
• Get and give unwanted items for free on Freecycle.
• Reduce packaging
• Avoid overpackaged items.
• Buy fresh food instead of tins, jars and packets.
• Put fruit and vegetables loose into your shopping trolley then into a reusable bag.
• Use reusable bags instead of plastic bags.
• Shop in stores that will let you refill or bring your own containers.
• Buy bulk sizes.
• Buy items with packaging you know you can recycle.
• Download music instead of buying CDs.

What a waste!