Factsheet Smart Shopping Every product we purchase has used energy and water and many resources over the length of time it takes to move through the stages of production, processing, packaging, storage, transport, disposal and finally delivery to us. As a shopper, you can reduce the carbon footprint of your shopping purchases and also save some money at the same time. Here are some quick tips for Smart Shopping: • Stop throwing out food – check the use by dates of items in the kitchen and use up the ones that are about to expire first. Also ensure you are getting your portions right; don’t serve up more than your family will eat and if you do have leftovers, learn how to store them correctly. Planning your meals each week will also ensure that you only purchase what you need. Using leftovers is one of the best ways to save money and prevent waste. For recipes, which will help transform your leftovers into delicious meals and more useful information in this area, visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com. • Ask yourself, do you really need it? Or is it something you could borrow from a friend or a library? • Buy more fresh wholefoods, rather than refined and highly processed foods. Local fresh produce is not only better for you, but will have less packaging, utilised less transport to get to you and therefore, have a much lower carbon footprint. • Check the label – where does the product come from? As mentioned above, local produce will have a much lower transport footprint. • Look for organic and free-range foods with lower production footprints. • Buy in-season unpackaged fresh fruit and vegetables and less meat. Or better still, grow your own! Try starting with herbs and salad greens. • Do your research when buying white goods and hot water units. Look for top energy and water star ratings. • When purchasing clothes, consider second-hand or vintage. Given our isolation in Perth, most vintage and second hand clothing will have a small transport footprint and obviously a lower production footprint than purchasing new. They will also be free from a lot of the chemicals that are used in clothing production, having been laundered several times previously. recycleright.wa.gov.au phone: 9329 2700 email: [email protected]

Factsheet - recycleright.wa.gov.au · • Do your research when buying white goods and hot water units. Look for top energy and water. star ratings. • When purchasing clothes, consider

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Page 1: Factsheet - recycleright.wa.gov.au · • Do your research when buying white goods and hot water units. Look for top energy and water. star ratings. • When purchasing clothes, consider

FactsheetSmart Shopping

Every product we purchase has used energy and water and many resources over the length of time it takes to move through the stages of production, processing, packaging, storage, transport, disposal and finally delivery to us.

As a shopper, you can reduce the carbon footprint of your shopping purchases and also save some money at the same time.

Here are some quick tips for Smart Shopping: • Stop throwing out food – check

the use by dates of items in thekitchen and use up the onesthat are about to expire first.Also ensure you are getting yourportions right; don’t serve upmore than your family will eatand if you do have leftovers, learnhow to store them correctly.Planning your meals each weekwill also ensure that you onlypurchase what you need. Usingleftovers is one of the best waysto save money and preventwaste. For recipes, which willhelp transform your leftovers intodelicious meals and more usefulinformation in this area, visitwww.lovefoodhatewaste.com.

• Ask yourself, do you really needit? Or is it something you couldborrow from a friend or a library?

• Buy more fresh wholefoods,rather than refined and highlyprocessed foods. Local freshproduce is not only better foryou, but will have less packaging,utilised less transport to get toyou and therefore, have a muchlower carbon footprint.

• Check the label – where doesthe product come from? Asmentioned above, local producewill have a much lower transportfootprint.

• Look for organic and free-rangefoods with lower productionfootprints.

• Buy in-season unpackaged freshfruit and vegetables and lessmeat. Or better still, grow yourown! Try starting with herbs andsalad greens.

• Do your research when buyingwhite goods and hot water units.Look for top energy and waterstar ratings.

• When purchasing clothes, considersecond-hand or vintage. Given ourisolation in Perth, most vintageand second hand clothing willhave a small transport footprintand obviously a lower productionfootprint than purchasing new.They will also be free from a lotof the chemicals that are used inclothing production, having beenlaundered several times previously.

recycleright.wa.gov.au phone: 9329 2700 email: [email protected]