Why not see if
you can reduce your environmental impact by following the tips below?
Shop Locally
- Try to buy foods sourced locally;
this means less carbon dioxide is released transporting goods. Free Range Review is a website that lists and reviews local
food producers in your area.
- Use local retailers to
minimise car use, and so reduce pollution and congestion.
Minimise Waste
- Buy more loose items and fewer
packaged goods; often the packaging is plastic which cannot be recycled.
- Use reusable bags. Carrier bags can take an estimated 1,000
years to decay.
- Buy more durable items and fewer one
off disposable items such as cameras and batteries.
- Don’t waste food. Around a third of the food we buy ends
up being thrown in the bin, most of which could have been eaten (Source: Waste Resources
Action Programme, WRAP). A campaign
called Love Food Hate Waste has been launched by WRAP to reduce
food waste. A wealth of information
is available on their website; from recipes using leftover food to
information on portion control.
Ethical Choices
- Buy organic food where possible; which
is produced
using sustainable and ethical farming practices,
without the
use of pesticides
-
Buy Fairtrade products. Fairtrade ensures farmers get a fair deal for the crops they produce and they are paid a premium which contributes towards community facilities. Producers work to protect the natural environment and use organic farming practices where possible. Gosport Fairtrade Action has
helped make Gosport a Fairtrade Town. For more information about the
group, you can email them or click on their website link above.
