Buying green

There are now lots of choices you can make when shopping that help take care of the environment.

Take a bag

The average person uses around 166 plastic bags each year, meaning over 100 million are used in Kirklees alone. It is estimated that it takes around 500 to 1,000 years for a plastic bag to break down in the environment, and every year in the UK 200 million plastic bags end up as litter on beaches, streets and parks. Hang on to your old shopping bags and take some with you when you next go to the supermarket. Also, lots of supermarkets now offer stronger reusable shopping bags.

Look for the labels

Use labels to choose products that have a lower impact on the environment. For example, energy efficient appliances and cars, and sustainable fish.

Using labels to buy sustainable wood and peat free compost will protect important natural habitats that help balance climate change effects. Look for the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) label which means that wood has come from sustainably managed forests.

Buy recycled

Look out for recycled products. Recycled paper, kitchen rolls and toilet tissue are among the products now widely available. These save resources and energy, helping to combat climate change.

Repair and reuse

Where possible, think about repairing something rather than replacing it, and buying things you can reuse, rather than disposable versions.

Buy Fairtrade

You can buy Fairtrade products in many shops, cafes and supermarkets, lookout for the Fairtrade Mark. This guarantees that the producers of the product are getting decent wages and a fair price on their goods, and that the goods are produced with less impact on the environment.