At the shops
Producing, transporting and consuming food is responsible for nearly a third of an individuals' contribution to climate change. While, on average, it is estimated that each household in the UK spends a staggering £420 a year on food that's thrown away but could have been eaten. Making a few simple changes to the way you shop for food can save pounds on your shopping bill and reduce your carbon footprint. [Source: direct.gov.uk]
How you can make your shopping habits greener:
Plan what you need to buy in advance
This way you can cut down on the number of trips you make to the supermarket. Making fewer food shopping trips by car, or using other forms of transport instead, will help cut emissions and could even save you money. [Source: direct.gov.uk]
Don’t carry plastic
The majority of those seemingly insignificant, yet non-biodegradable, plastic carrier bags given away by shops end up in landfill sites. You can do your bit by refusing or reusing and buying Bags for Life every time you shop.
Pick your greens carefully
Choose fruit and vegetable produce that's currently in season - it's better for you because it's much fresher and far more nutritious. Not only that, eating seasonal food really can help tackle climate change. That's because seasonal food can require less energy to produce, store and transport than food grown out of season. [Source: direct.gov.uk]
Stay loyal to your local stores
Shopping locally supports your high street and helps the environment. In fact, it would take 60 greengrocers to match the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from just one average superstore. [Source: Corporate Watch]
At the Co-operative we have over 2, 200 local food stores in the UK, from Brae in the Shetland Islands to Penzance in Cornwall.
Support Fair Trade
It's easy to make sure producers get a fair deal. Just look for the Fair Trade symbol, it tells you where products have been produced in the developing world.
Our Co-operative Food stores sell around 200 Fairtrade grocery product lines - more than any other supermarket.
Don’t just be green. Wear green
Ethical fashion is no longer a contradiction in terms - and it's going mainstream. Look out for ethical clothing lines in your favourite high street shops.
Be good when buying wood
Trees absorb carbon dioxide, so if they are cut down and not replaced, there is an increase in CO2 which contributes to climate change [Source: direct.gov.uk]. So, when buying any new wooden furniture for your home, be sure to keep an eye out for the Forest Stewardship Council logo to be sure the wood was sourced responsibly.
Waste not, want not
If you can't reuse your food, compost it. Your local council may help you get a composter or offer a green waste collection service. Home composting diverts waste from landfill, cuts down on emissions and, of course, provides you with free compost for the garden. [Source: direct.gov.uk]
Charity begins at home
Instead of throwing away your old furniture, try donating it to a charity shop (although old foam-filled furniture may be a fire risk and should be disposed of in the correct manner), recycling it or passing it on via sharing schemes like Freecycle. [Source: direct.gov.uk]
Your life
Please select
