WHEN YOU'RE SHOPPING - DON'T BUY WASTE!
Sustainability Victoria’s Shopper's Guide
DON'T BUY WASTE!
Packaging, containers and excess food are the biggest waste issues associated with buying goods
and products. By reducing, reusing and recycling when we make our shopping choices, we can all
play a part in resolving the problem of our growing waste. Minimising waste when shopping not
only helps the environment, but can often make your shopping cheaper!
Reducing waste means carefully choosing what you buy so that you have less packaging and
plastic bags to get rid of later on.
Reusing means using the same item more than once, preferably many times, rather than
disposing of it after one use. When shopping, this means avoiding one-off products and reusing
your plastic bags.
Recycling through our shopping choices is when we buy recycled. We are not truly recycling until
we have 'closed the loop' and bought products made from recycled material. This can be a simple
as preferring products with recycled packaging or made from recycled material.
Buying recycled keeps the recycling system viable. Consumer demand for recyclable goods drives
the need for a recycling system.
WASTE MINIMISATION CHECKLIST: SHOPPING
Below are some tips to help you get started on minimising waste when you are shopping. These
small changes may at first seem inconvenient, but soon they will become second nature and can
really contribute to preserving our environment. You might even find you already do some of these
actions!
REDUCE WASTE
Choose what you buy so that you have less packaging and plastic bags to get rid of later on.
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Look for products with minimal packaging.
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Bulk-buy products with a long shelf-life. For example, choose big boxes rather than
two smaller ones, or 2L soft drink bottles rather than cans. In particular, avoid
individually wrapped items, which is often cheaper. If your supermarket does not
provide bulk goods, have a chat to the manager about it.
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Choose the concentrated or refillable form of products, e.g. detergents, juices,
cordials and cleaning products.
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Buy fresh food rather than processed. For example, avoid steel cans by buying
fresh food that is in season.
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Use a basket, backpack, box or reusable shopping bag rather than plastic bags.
Place a small note on your door to remember to take them with you or keep some in
the boot of your car.
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Consolidate purchases into one bag rather than getting a new bag at each store on
your shopping rounds. Place fruit and vegetables directly in your basket and not use
bags.
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Refuse plastic carry bags from all shops, particularly for single purchases.
REUSE
Reusing your plastic bags and choose items that can be reused many times.
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Choose items that are durable and reusable rather than disposable ones. For
example, choose sponges instead of paper towels, crockery instead of paper or plastic
plates and cup, cloth nappies and bottom wipers rather than disposable nappies.
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Buy good quality second hand/refurbished products.
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Support shops that provide lunches, morning and afternoon teas on returnable trays.
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Keep a few used plastic shopping bags or cardboard boxes in the car for shopping on
the way home from work or an outing.
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Keep a spare plastic shopping bag (rolled up and secured with a rubber band) in your
handbag or wallet for those times when you thought you would not need a bag, but
did.
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Return your bags to the same place after unpacking your shopping at home.
RECYCLE BY BUYING RECYCLED
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Look for products that have recyclable or reusable packaging. Plastic packaging
that is marked code 1 or 2 can be recycled in most municipalities, whilst codes 3 to
5 generally cannot be recycled in Victoria.
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Packaging made of more than one material that can not be separated, e.g. plastic
laminate on paper, is difficult to recycle and should be avoided.
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Buy products made from recycled materials.
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Recycle your plastic bags at participating supermarkets.
Support organisations and stores that have environmentally conscious products and
practices.
A GREEN APPROACH TO APPLIANCES AND ELECTRONIC GOODS
Over 2 million major appliances are sold in Australia every year. These kinds of goods
can become outdated and obsolete quickly. Consequently large amounts of goods are being sent
to landfills or stockpiled.
It is estimated that 4,400 tonnes of computers alone were landfilled in Victoria in 2001, with a
further 1,340 tonnes recycled and another 6,360 tonnes in storage. Other electronic goods such as
printers, scanners, TVs and items such as printer cartridges are also being landfilled or stored in
large quantities.
The impact of this kind of consumption and disposal includes:
 environmental impact of extraction of raw materials
 waste generated during manufacturing
 hazardous materials contained within the goods, such as lead, mercury, cadmium,
phosphors and CFCs that may contaminate water supplies.
BUYING APPLIANCES AND EQUIPMENT
To help combat the impact of the increasing amounts of goods being manufactured and sent to
landfill, consider the following points when buying a new product:
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Assess the company’s environmental performance and recycling services they
offer. Companies such as Electrolux, Whirlpool, Bosch and Miele are designing
products that can be easily dismantled for component reuse and recycling.
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See if the design of the product is durable, allows upgradeability and whether it
can be easily disassembled for recycling. Get the longest warranty possible.
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Be aware that if appliance parts are made out of single moulded plastic or metal
pieces, they are crimped together instead of being welded or bolted. This results
in a lower cost of production, but means that it is more difficult and expensive to
repair.
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Watch out for clusters of components. You may end up replacing a bunch of
parts because they are connected to a single part that does not work.
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Consider buying a used appliance from a charitable organisation.
REDUCE WASTE THROUGH MAINTENANCE
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Use repair, reuse and recycling services offered by retailers, manufacturers, local
government and other charitable organisations.
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Upgrade your computer or trade it in when buying a new one rather than throwing it out.
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Maintain your appliances by following manufacturer's instructions. For example, do not
overload your washer and regularly clean your dryer's lint filter.
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Tune-up, overhaul items such as sewing machines, vacuum cleaners and sharpen the
blades on your lawn mowers and coffee grinder to keep them in good working order.
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If you need to get an appliance repaired and no one is able to stay home for the repair
person, barter time or a service with a neighbour or friend who is available to stay at your
home for a few hours.
RECYCLING
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Check the Planet Ark and Sensis 'Recycling Near You' website. You can search for local
recycling information either by Council area or product.
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Ask your retailer if they are involved in a product-take back scheme for reuse and
recycling for products that have reached the end of their useful life. Alternatively, contact
the manufacturer or importer directly.