Shop Smart, Shop Sustainably: A Cheat Sheet To Buying Eco-Friendly Products

The term eco-friendly gets thrown around a lot, from stainless steel straws to reusable tote shopping bags, people are now choosing products that help in producing less plastic waste and reduce pollution as well. However, just a label on the products doesn’t assure sustainability. There are high chances that you might be getting misled if you are not aware of what eco-friendly products are and things to check while shopping for them.

What does the term eco-friendly and sustainability mean?

Any company claiming to sell eco-friendly products should be able to explain its packaging and what makes its product more sustainable and how to use it to create less wastage. Eco-friendly means products that are safe for the environment and sustainability means that products should be used in a judicious way that it is preserved for our future generation

How to shop smartly and sustainably?

Keep an eye on how much you are buying

Purchase only those things that are essential. A product from manufacturing to consumption makes use of lots of energy and resources. By purchasing limited products, you can lower your resource consumption. By stocking unwanted and larger quantities of products, you are exploiting lots of resources.

Buy products that can be reused

By using reusable products, you can easily decrease the consumption of plastic and the harmful effects that it brings along with it. For instance, instead of using a plastic straw, you can use a stainless steel straw that can be used and carry easily. Similarly, choosing bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic ones will help reduce not just plastic waste but also offer health benefits that come along with it.

When buying a new product, choose one that can be easily recycled

When buying a product, make sure it is made up of sustainable ingredients. For instance, instead of going for plastic shopping bags that end up getting disposed of after one use, choose to go for portable shopping bags or produce bags that can be washed and used again and again. If they are made of eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton, they do not release any toxins and create less wastage compared to fibres like rayon which release lots of toxins when decomposed.

Go for minimal packaging

Many products come with plastic packaging or bubble wrap which is also harmful. Thus it is advisable to go for cardboard or aluminium packaging. It’s all about taking small steps, like, while ordering takeaway food do not request for a plastic disposable plate or spoons.

• Check the labels

A company should provide a complete description of the product to the customer along with proper data to support its claim. A general claim about the ingredients used does not mean that the product is chemical or toxin-free. Therefore, while purchasing eco-friendly products, keep in mind that the description and ingredients match what the company claims to be.

Look out for specifics

A good brand will make sure to share all their specifications and explanations about their product. For instance, if a product claims to be made of ingredients that can be recycled easily then they should provide at what percentage those ingredients were used for manufacturing the product. This will allow you to understand whether the claims made are deceptive or true.

Choose bamboo

Bamboo is a highly sustainable product that can grow very quickly with less maintenance. Thus it makes for a good alternative for plastic. You can explore bamboo-stainless steel bottles or toothbrushes. Bamboo comes with antibacterial and anti-microbial properties that help in maintaining hygiene as well.

Ditch plastic cutleries and go for stainless steel

Highly durable, corrosion-resistant, and aesthetic, stainless steel cutlery is easy to maintain as it works with high and low temperatures. While plastic cutleries are meant to be used once, stainless steel cutlery is passed onto generations as it does not break that easily.

To sum up

The best way to reduce the environmental effects of consuming plastic is to diminish its use by choosing to buy eco friendly products. Products that can be reused and are made of natural and biodegradable ingredients help keep mother earth safe and healthy.

Hi,I am Abhilash Tyagi, an active blogger since 3 years. I love to gain and share knowledge by means of writing. I write on topics like lifestyle, technology, fashion, Food, business. Follow me: @abetyagi