Shopping

Shopping Tips Flyer
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Careful shopping decisions can reduce the amount of rubbish you send to the landfill.

It's easy to choose no or low cost sustainable shopping actions to improve the environment and ultimately your quality of life while saving your money.

Do you really need to buy this?

Ask yourself when considering a purchase to determine whether it is truly necessary. Can you provide it yourself from your backyard or garden?

Can you borrow it from a friend or neighbor? Is it possible to repair an item rather than replace it? Can you hire or purchase second hand instead of buying? Could you purchase and own it jointly with a friend?

Reduce

Reduce the amount of packaging you obtain when shopping. Purchase items that can be bought loose rather than individually wrapped. When you do buy packaged products, favor those in recyclable packaging over non-recyclables.

Buy refills of household detergents and other chemicals in order to use your existing pumps and dispensers.

Think long term and long use

An electric shaver is preferable to several years' supply of disposable metal and plastic razors - but don't forget to use use rechargeable batteries!

Why not take your own coffee mug or a washable water bottle to work to reduce the number of disposable cups you use?

Buy local

Where you choose to spend your money is important to the well being of our communities. Buying local supports our local business and ultimately our local community.

Choose fresh New Zealand produce in season or preserved (frozen, bottled and tinned) New Zealand produce out of season, rather than imported Northern Hemisphere produce. This saves money on packaging materials and the energy used in food transport.

Reuse

Save regularly-bought packaging containers until you have found another use for them. Washed waxed cardboard milk and yoghurt cartons can be used as pots to grow plant seedlings.

Similarly, clean plastic food containers such as ice cream containers might be useful at playgroup, school or in your shed.

Re-use plastic shopping bags from previous shopping and don’t accept the new bags until you have run out at home. Why not keep some handy under the car seat?