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Let's Go Green Shopping
EPA530-K-04-003
April 2004
View and print this booklet (12
pp, 266K, about
PDF)
You can conserve resources, save energy, and prevent waste by buying products that:
- Are energy efficient
- Are used or reusable
- Are made with recycled content or are recyclable
- Have no packaging or reduced packaging
Everything you buy affects the environment, but some choices are better than others.
Did You Know?
Since your parents were born, the amount of trash each American generates has doubled.*“Green purchasing” means buying smart. Shop with the environment in mind—that is, buy products that help conserve natural resources, save energy, and prevent waste. Green purchasing can also mean not buying things you don’t need. By educating yourself about the products you buy, you can make a difference in protecting the environment.
Green purchasing involves learning about all the ways that a product can affect the environment during the course of its “life cycle”—from the materials used to manufacture it, to how you use it, to what you do with it when you’re finished with it—so that you can make smart choices.
Use the tips and resources in this brochure to make yourself an educated consumer.
Shopping Tips
Buy smart. Take some time to think before you buy something—maybe you don't really need it. Maybe you can think of an alternative to buying a product, such as renting a DVD instead of buying it or sending a free e-card instead of a paper birthday card. Shopping with the environment in mind will conserve resources, prevent waste, and save money.
Buy durable products. Instead of buying disposable products, which are wasteful, buy things that will last a long time, such as rechargeable batteries and reusable plastic mugs for drinks.
Avoid excess packaging. Look for products that have less packaging, or buy in bulk—you’ll have less to throw away. You can also buy items with packaging that can be reused or recycled.
Buy used. Buying things that have been used before means that your purchase doesn’t use more resources or energy. If the item is still reusable when you’re through with it, then the next person to use it is not using additional resources either. You can find authentic retro clothes, room accessories, and even sports equipment at your local thrift store. Shop online or at local stores to buy used CDs and books.
Share with friends. Another way to save resources and energy is to swap with friends and family instead of buying brand-new products. Maybe you and your friends like the same video games. Why not share your games instead of each of you owning the same game? Or maybe you can rent the game first to see if you really want to own it.
Buy energy-efficient items. Look for the ENERGY STAR® logo when buying electronics such as TVs, CD players, DVD players, and computers. ENERGY STAR is a program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products.
Did You Know?
For every 42 notebooks made with 100 percent recycled paper, one tree is saved.*Buy recycled. Buying items made with recycled-content materials means that fewer natural resources, such as trees, were used to produce the products. Products made from recycled paper, plastic, and other materials are usually easy to recognize in the store—just read the labels. Try starting with school supplies. Many stores carry recycled notebooks, pens, and other products.
How do my purchases make a difference?
Did You Know?
Young people spend or influence the spending of $300 billion a year, or about 1 in 3 dollars spent.*Buying “green” lets companies know that you care about the environmental impact of the products you buy. Why would a big corporation care what you think? Because your current and future purchasing power is extremely important to them. In fact, companies spend $12 billion a year marketing their products to you.* Shopping “green” sends a message to the companies—that you care about the environment, and you’re not afraid to use your buying power to prove it.
Did You Know?
67 percent of parents buying a new car base their decision on advice from their kids, who are not even old enough to drive.*Your purchasing choices affect what your parents buy. Your parents buy groceries and other items based on your likes and dislikes, and they might even buy a car input from you and your siblings. Your friends also listen to what you have to say when they decide what to buy. Use your influence to help others shop smart and protect the environment.
For More Information
Use the following resources to find more information about how you can make a difference!
According to Teen People
62 percent of its readers try to use environmentally friendly products.*Act Green
—a
collaboration of the Union of Concerned Scientists
and the Environmental Media Association—promotes
environmental awareness and positive solutions to
young people across the country.
www.IBuyDifferent.org
is part of the Be, Live, Buy Different—Make
a Difference campaign, which is a new national
program from the World Wildlife Fund and the Center
for a New American Dream. It teaches young people
how to make a difference by buying differently.
Buy Green Here
The Solid
Waste Agency of Northern Cook County’s Eco-Friendly
Marketplace lists companies that
sell green products, including book bags made
from reclaimed rubber inner tubes, hats and mittens
made from recycled sweaters, belts and jewelry
made from bottle caps, and purses made from old
license plates and hubcaps.
Co-op
America’s Green Pages OnlineTM
is a directory of green companies that are of
green companies that are committed to social and
environmental responsibility.
"The
Cost of Cool” —co-produced
by the National Wildlife Federation, Population
Communications International, and The Video Project—is
a 26-minute video and curriculum guide package expressly
designed for teens. It includes background information
and hands-on activities about consumption, media,
and the environment.
Ecological
Footprint helps teens and others calculate
the impact their choices have on the environment.
EPA’s Green Advertising Claims (PDF) (6 pp, 1.1MB, about PDF) brochure contains information about specific terms used to describe products, including “environmentally friendly,” “biodegradable,” and “ozone friendly.”
EPA’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program Web site—while mainly designed for government workers—contains great green purchasing resources and links.
ENERGY STAR® is a program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products.
Take the Resource Conservation Challenge!
EPA’s Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) calls on all Americans to prevent pollution, promote recycling and reuse, and conserve energy and materials. Achieving these goals means adopting a resource conservation ethic, purchasing more wisely, and using products that are easy to recycle and are made of recycled materials.
.
Special thanks to this joint program of the Center
for a New American Dream and the World Wildlife
Fund for contributing valuable information to this
booklet.