Green Shopping Tips & Resources
Ron Vance
U.S. EPA Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
Tip #1 – Think Before You Buy
• Ask yourself “Do I really need this?”
• Use what you already have.
• Borrow, rent, or share items used infrequently.
Tip #2 – Shop with the
Environment in Mind
• Consider the ways a product can affect the environment
• Think about the product’s entire life cycle
– Where do the materials to make product come from?
– How is a product made?
– How do you use the product?
– What do you do with it when you’re finished with it?
http://www.epa.gov/waste/education/pdfs/life-soccer.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/waste/education/pdfs/life-cell.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/waste/education/pdfs/finalposter.pdf
Tip #3 – Apply the 3 Rs –
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
• Reduce
– Choose products with minimal packaging
– Consider buying items in bulk
– Choose products with reduced toxicity
• Reuse
– Select reusable products
– Choose and maintain durable items. Although durable products
sometimes cost more initially, their extended life span often offsets the
higher cost and saves money over the product life
• Recycle
– Choose recyclable products. Identify items and/or packaging that can be
recycled, but make sure to recycle them!
– Select products made from recycled materials. Understand product
labeling and know how to identify recycled products
http://www.epa.gov/waste/education/pdfs/shopping.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/osw/wycd/funfacts/index.htm
Specific Back to School Tips
• Sort through last year’s stuff. Many supplies can be reused – notebooks, folders,
binders, pens, pencils.
• Share your used books with friends, relatives, or younger schoolchildren.
• Buy nontoxic products such as batteries with less mercury, vegetable-based inks,
and water-based paints.
• Buy reusable items – refillable pens, rechargeable batteries, and scrap paper for
notes.
• Buy and maintain durable products –backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils can be
reused for many years
• Buy school supplies with minimal packaging
• Save packaging, colored paper, egg cartons and other items for arts and crafts
projects.
• Buy recycled-content products – pencils made from old blue jeans, binders made
from old shipping boxes, many types of recycled paper products.
http://epa.gov/epawaste/wycd/funfacts/school.htm
Waste-Free Lunch
• Buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste
• Package lunch in reusable containers instead of disposable ones –
reusable plastic or cloth bag, lunch box.
• Bring drinks in a thermos instead of disposable bottles or cartons.
• If you use single-use containers, use recyclable ones.
• If you buy lunch, take and use only what you need: one napkin, one
ketchup packet, one salt packet, one pepper packet, one set of
flatware.
• Recycle your cans and bottles.
• Compost food scraps
http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/lunch.htm
http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/pdfs/lunch.pdf
Questions?
• Type questions into the question log
Type your question here
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Thank you!
Please send feedback on this
roundtable to
ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov