you might think something as big as saving the earth is beyond your abilities, but we're here to tell you that saving the earth is a task that involves EVERYONE. this is how YOU can help.
the next way you can help the environment is by always thinking about the 6 Rs. if you don't know what the 6 Rs are, here they are:
Re-think
Refuse
Reduce
Re-use
Repair
Recycle
these should all be thought about in your daily life, particularly when grocery shopping.
so, how does it apply to my shopping?
re-think: do you really need that product? is there a similar product which uses less packaging or is packaged in a more environmentally-friendly way? is there a product which will last longer, therefore making it more sustainable?
refuse: you can choose to refuse to buy a product if you don't agree with the packaging used, if you don't actually need the product, or if the product is environmentally unsustainable, among other reasons.
reduce: try to buy products with minimal packaging to reduce the amount of waste from your consumption, and buy locally sourced products to reduce the distance products have to travel to reach you, therefore reducing pollution from transportation.
re-use: if you can, buy products which can be re-used, such as reusable water bottles instead of plastic, or recharcheable batteries rather than alkaline batteries. this reduces the amount of products going into landfill. additionally, use both sides of a piece of paper instead of immediately throwing it away.
repair: when buying a mechanical-type product, think: can this product be repaired easily? are spare parts readily available for this? is the cost of repair feasible for me? if the answer to any of these questions is no, then do not buy the product. it is better to buy a product that can easily be repaired, rather than buying a product which will have to go to landfill if there is a problem with it.
recycle: notice how recycle is the last on this list. this is because, out of all of the 6 Rs, contrary to what you may think, recycling is the least environmentally-friendly option out of these 6, as in order for products to be recycled, large amounts of energy are often required in order to return materials to a workable form, therefore creating pollution. therefore, if possible, you should definitely try to do one of the other things on the list before this. however, if this is not possible, then recycled products and recyclable products are still a lot better than products which just go into landfill, so you should look for products which are either made from recycled materials, or for products where the packaging (and, if possible, the product) is recycleable, so that it can be returned into its stock form and made into a new product.
we hope this has given you some things to think about when you do your shopping in the future! remember, if you are confused about anything in this chapter or if you have a question, feel free to leave something in the comments and we'll do our best to answer you!
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