Is it better to buy green and ship or buy non-green local?
I’ve recently read a book about ways to ‘go green’ and they mentioned how good it is to buy environmentally friendly cleaning supplies, clothing, etc. However, I live in a very rural area where environmentally friendly products are impossible to find. I was wondering if it would be more environmentally responsible to buy these ‘green’ products on the internet and have them shipped to me, or simply buy non environmentally friendly products from local stores to save fuel. Thanks!
But what if buying local actually means the product was made in China?
If local products you refer to are actually sourced and manufactured locally, then yes, it is better to buy them rather than green products made elsewhere. There are likely situation, however, where paying the shipping cost to procure an item from afar actually is more efficient in the long run. For example, a solar powered hot water heater would be more sustainable in time than paying your electric utility if they burn coal to generate electricity.
The first and foremost deciding factor should be your health. Without your health it won’t matter where you buy anything. So using your health as a yard stick ask yourself how can I eliminate toxins from my immediate environment-which would be your body, then your house, then your yard and so forth? So for your body take stock in what you put in it and on it. Many personal care items can be made out of food items like olive oil, sugar, coconut oil, cider vinegar, baking soda etc Thereby keeping toxic personal care products out of your bloodstream. The same goes with household cleaners. You can keep your house spotless with vinegar, baking soda, salt, lemons and hydrogen peroxide. Surely you can get some of these items where you live.You can find all the instructions online how to make your own cleaners so going green can be as close as your pantry. As for clothing-ask yourself how much do you really need? Could you get some of it from a thrift store or tag sales? Thereby reusing perfectly good clothing. Part of being green is to get the most use out of everything we have. Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle. Something to consider is maybe you should rethink the whole concept of "buying" to begin with.
Buy the non green products.
Green products usually don’t work as well. Particularity cleaning products.
Buying locally as a sustainable practice refers to buying organic items or locally manufactured products.
Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, I’m sure a delivery truck comes around everyday. If you are buying something small like cleaning supplies or clothing, buy green and have it shipped. It is better to support the eco-friendly companies and products, than to buy non green locally. After all, the non green cleaning products were shipped to your local store anyway.
buy green and have it shipped to you. because the non green stuff at the local market is being shipped there anyway so you’re buying shipped AND non green. so might as well buy shipped YET green. dig?