Environmental Protection
Agency
Let's Go
Green
Shopping
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means buying smart. Shop with the
environment in mind—that is, buy
products that help conserve natural
resources, save energy, and prevent
waste. Green purchasing can also
mean nof buying things you don'f
need. By educating yourself about
the products you buy, you can make
a difference in protecting the
environment.
Green purchasing involves learning
about all the ways that a product can
affect the environment during the
course of its "life cycle"—from the
materials used to manufacture it, to
how you use it, to what you do with it
when you're finished with it—so that
you can make smart choices.
Use the tips and resources in this
brochure to make yourself an
educated consumer.
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. .' •; ; Take some
time to think before you
' '' ' : buy something—maybe
' ' you don't really need it.
Maybe you can think of
.: : an alternative to buying a
product, such as renting a
DVD instead of buying it or sending a
free e-card instead of a paper birthday
card. Shopping with the environment
in mind will conserve resources, pre-
vent waste, and save money.
Buy durable; produc ;,;;., Instead
of buying disposable products, which
are wasteful, buy things that will last
a long time, such as rechargeable
batteries and reusable plastic mugs
for drinks.
for products that have less packaging,
or buy in bulk—you'll have less to
throw away. You can also buy items
with packaging that can be reused or
recycled.
Buy a^eol. Buying things that have
been used before means that your pur-
chase doesn't use more resources or
energy. If the item is still reusable
when you're through with it, then the
next person to use it is not using addi-
tional resources either. You can find
authentic retro clothes, room acces-
sories, and even sports equipment
at your local thrift store. Shop
online or at local stores to buy used
CDs and books.
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Another
way to save resources and energy is to
swap with friends and family instead of
buying brand-new products. Maybe
you and your friends like the same
video games. Why not share your
games instead of each of you owning
the same game? Or maybe you can
rent the game first to see if you really
want to own it.
Look for the ENERGY STAR® logo
when buying electronics such as TVs,
CD players, DVD players, and comput-
ers, ENERGY STAR is a program
designed to identify and promote
energy-efficient products.
Buying items made
with recycled-content
materials means that
fewer natural resources,
such as trees, were
used to produce the
p rod u cts, Prod u cts
made from recycled
paper, plastic, and
other materials are usually easy to rec-
ognize in the store—just read the
labels. Try starting with school supplies.
Many stores carry recycled notebooks,
pens, and other products.
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buy,. Why would a big corporation
care what you think? Because your
current and future purchasing power is
extremely important to them. In fact,
companies spend $12 billion a year
marketing their products
to you.* Shopping
"green" sends a message
to the companies—that
you care about the envi-
ronment, and you're not
afraid to use your buying
power to prove it.
Did you i- >.>• that 67
percent of parents
buying a new car bas<
their decision on
advice from their kids.
who ore not even old
enough to drive?"
buy. Your parents
buy groceries and
other packaged
items based on your
likes and dislikes,
and they might even , , ,,, •
buy a car based on • • ,>
input from you and ' ' " -'
your siblings. Your
friends also listen to what you have to
say when they decide what to buy. Use
your influence to help others shop
smart and protect the environment.
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•. :, . '••. .: .••. :..—a collabora-
tion of the Union of Concerned
Scientists and the Environmental
Media Association—promotes
environmental awareness and
positive solutions to young peo-
ple across the country.
part of the Be, Live, Buy Different-
Make a Difference campaign,
which is a new national program
from the World Wildlife Fund and
the Center for a New American
Dream. It teaches young people
how to make a difference by buy-
ing differently.
co-produced by the National
Wildlife Federation, Population
Communications International, and
The Video Project—is a 26-mInute
video and curriculum guide pack-
age expressly designed for teens. It
includes background information
and hands-on activities about con-
sumption, media, and the environ-
ment. •• »••'•""••
:UKi I OP; !<'.'>.! I £>°oo I. ...T i:: d, helps
teens and others calculate the
impact their choices have on the
environment. >/w ![•, -,•> i/• .••. • • > /
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• • •. •: •;•:: ': ' contains
information about specific terms
used to describe products, includ-
ing "environmentally friendly/'
"biodegradable/' and "ozone
friendly."
.Freforuble .Fui'oruv.."lor:
c'ro.^rr:.u'rt l-';-'b ;,> 1 l/e—while
mainly designed for government
workers—contains great green
purchasing resources and links.
.Ki\!K*U."tY .'.;, i'AH is a program
designed to identify and promote
energy-efficient products.
lists companies that sell green
products, including book bags
made from reclaimed rubber inner
tubes, hats and mittens made from
recycled sweaters, belts and jewelry
made from bottle caps, and purses
made from old license plates and
hubcaps. '•' ' '.V -,.V(::.i ., ,,! ,j
/'•„'/:•!"• <>2i>. i:)•:''"' is a directory
of green companies that are
committed to social and environ-
mental responsibility.
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EPA's Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) calls on all
Americans to prevent pollution, promote recycling and
reuse, and conserve energy and materials.
Achieving these goals means adopting a resource conserva-
tion ethic, purchasing more wisely, and using products that
are easy to recycle and are made of recycled materials.
For more information, visit oo//.o.xi <;.<'.• r'rco.
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