Sustainability is about creating a lasting world without overwhelming environmental, social or economic problems. Although this might seem a long way off, you can make a difference now by how you shop and what you buy. Next time you are out shopping look a little closer at the labelling and think a little harder about where your shopping came from and how it was produced.

Below we have listed beginner, intermediate and advanced ways you can make a difference.


Beginner

Choose fresh produce carefully

• Buy organic produce. The cultivation of non-organic produce involves the use of damaging chemicals such as pesticides, which can pollute waterways and the rest of the environment


• Buy fruit and vegetables that are in season to help reduce enormous transport costs resulting from importing produce and, where possible, choose locally produced food


• Replace one meat meal per week with a vegetarian option. Land used for beans and vegetables produces 10 times as much protein as land used for raising beef

Reduce waste and pollution, save energy

• Choose energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs


• Don't buy products with excessive amounts of packaging and, where possible, choose products with re-useable containers


• Buy pump-action sprays rather than aerosols - even alternatives to CFCs can contribute to greenhouse gases


• Buy recycled or recyclable products such as toilet tissue and stationery


• If you are going to the supermarket by car, take a friend with you - one car journey is better than two


• Take your own bag or re-use plastic carriers when shopping


• Buy in bulk wherever possible - it saves packaging and money


• Send e-cards, if you can, rather than buy paper cards
• Buy wines with cork stoppers - cork is a natural and biodegradeable material which comes from a renewable resource - the cork oak tree. Buying cork helps to conserve the cork oak forests.
  

Intermediate

Use your consumer power

• If you can't see recycled or 'eco-labelled' products, ask the store manager to stock them


• Look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo when buying wood products, from paper to raw timber. This ensures the wood comes from a well managed forest


• When buying fish look out for 'eco-labelling' such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo, eat a variety of non-endangered species and buy local fish if possible

Avoid harmful chemicals

• Don't buy head lice shampoos that contain pesticides. Use homeopathic alternatives or a fine-toothed metal comb instead


• Ask your vet to recommend or supply a flea killer for your pet that does not contain pesticides


• As part of our Chemicals and Health campaign we have developed a Safer Shopping website. For this site WWF asked Ethical Consumer Research Association to find and evaluate products that either do not contain the chemicals that WWF are concerned about, or are produced by suppliers who are actively taking steps to phase out toxic chemicals from their products.
  
• Visit our Chemicals and Health campaign website for further information on hazardous chemicals.

Advanced

Use sustainable energy

• Purchase solar powered products from Solar Century's website