Eco-shopping

There are many things to take into consideration when buying something. Why not consider some of the following?

• Is it made from recycled material and can it be recycled once you have finished using it?
• Does it include excess packaging?
• Could you use a local supplier?
• Is the electrical product you’re buying energy efficient? Purchase electrical appliances that have an A or B energy rating. The European Energy Label tells you about the energy efficiency of electrical appliances. Products are rated from A-G with A being the most energy efficient. The more efficient the product, the less energy it needs to do the same job and the more you get for your money.
• Purchase a flat screen monitor. These save space and use less electricity than traditional monitors. PC monitors use approximately 66% of the electricity consumed by a PC. Traditional monitors will soon be classified as hazardous waste and will therefore be more difficult and costly to dispose of than flat screen monitors.

• Environmental labels can help consumers spot products that are less damaging to the environment. Many products contain such symbols, but there is no standardised symbol and it is not always obvious what these labels mean. The most commonly used symbol is the mobius loop, but this can represent recycled content and/or that the product is recyclable.
• If a product has been awarded the European ecolabel it means that it has been independently assessed and found to meet strict environmental criteria.