4th Board

Sooner or later, every product becomes some type of waste. How soon, how much, and what type of waste is already decided at the moment of purchase. Although it is hard to imagine that our individual decisions matter, our purchase is indeed a vote! There is increasing interest in “green” products, which more and more companies are trying to take advantage of—often by conveying misleading messages. This is called greenwashing.

Does buying environmentally friendly products make us environmentally conscious?

The easiest way to reduce the amount of our waste is to curb our consumption. So, the most important question for an environmentally conscious customer is: Do I really need it? Will I (or someone else) use it for a long time?

Do you know an example of greenwashing?
Do you make a shopping list?

You can refer to the following checklist if you’d like to be a more environmentally conscious customer:

• Only buy what you really need

• Use, maintain, and repair the items you own, and sell or give them away when you no longer need them

• Borrow or rent if possible

• Get it second-hand

• Create it yourself (DIY)

• Choose handmade, local products

• Buy products made from recycled materials

• Buy quality, durable products

• Choose products that can be recycled or composted

These flip boards display some reusable products that can replace single-use products. Even when you choose to buy one of these, please consider how many times you are going to use them:

• PET bottle → water bottle

• Tampon, pad → intimate cup, washable pad, menstrual panties

• Nylon bags → reusable bags made of linen

• Paper napkin, handkerchief, paper towel → textile napkin, handkerchief, tea towel

• Foil pack, aluminum foil → snack box, textile sandwich wrapper

• Polystyrene takeaway box, coffee cup → reusable box, coffee cup

• Disposable diapers, wet wipes → washable diapers, textile wipes (e.g. 15 washable diapers can substitute 5,400 disposable ones)

• Suction straw → metal/bamboo straw (with a small brush)

• Plastic/wooden fork, spoon, knife, plate → metal cutlery (note: takeaway food packaging accounts for 6% of the trash found on beaches)

• Sachet spice → potted herb (e.g. thyme, basil, chives)

March 30 – Zero Waste Day
2nd Saturday of May – Fair Trade Day
Last Friday of November – Buy Nothing Day
Last week of November – European Week for Waste Reduction

• Navigate the world of different products and “eco-labels”!
• Map of package-free stores.

• 10 Steps Toward Zero Waste

• What Makes a Product Environmentally Friendly?

• The Principles of Environmentally Conscious Shopping

• Where Have the Zero-Waste Stores Gone?

• Typical Examples of Greenwashing

• Edina Kump – Zero Waste Courses and Webshop
• Association of Conscious Consumers
• Andi Tóth – My Waste-Free Household Blog
• Responsible Gastro Hero – Sustainable Eating