So what’s a green shopper to do? Is it better to buy online and have a product shipped, or to patronize a local merchant or the closest big box store? Does the answer change depending on the product? If you can walk to make your local purchase, does that change the equation? What about buying in bulk? While the least we can do it avoid extra driving trips to the store, what else can we do to minimize the impact of buying things we need? Let us know how you shop green. Here’s the latest from our green team:
Okay, so unless you live in a cave (and btw, we have no problem with anyone who does), you need to shop for things: food, personal items, clothing, daily necessities, you have to buy stuff to live your life. Of course, there are those of you who just really like to shop, which is not a crime, so long as you don’t go all Paris Hilton on us.  For those of you with a Green Conscious, you’ve probably already wondered how you might save a carbon footprint or two while still satisfying your needs and wants. If you buy on-line, do you save the planet from excess emissions? If you buy in a store, is that better because it’s only a ten minutes from where you live?Â
The simple answer is: there’s no simple answer.Â
There are many things to take into consideration but certainly, the place to start is the sustainability practices of the company you are clicking from: materials, manufacturing and social responsibility which definitely contribute to determining the environmental effects of your purchase.Â
Traditional Retail Shopping
The most important area to measure the environmental impact of buying at a brick and mortar store is distribution. Which means, planes, trains, automobiles and trucks in particular, which use the most energy while at the same time, create the most pollution.  Adding up the number of links it takes in the supply chain to get merchandise from the manufacturer to your home will help clarify the eco-effects of your purchase.Â
A report compiled by the Interactive Media in Retail Group used the distribution steps it takes to sell books to illustrate the traditional retail process in contrast to those steps involved in e-commerce. Once a book is printed for distribution, it is sent to a national warehouse and from there, it is shipped to multiple regional warehouses and then again on to even more locations which make up the stores committed to carrying that book. After all that, the customer then drives their vehicle to the store to purchase said book and bring it home. It sounds like (and is) a whole lot of carbon to get the product to your local store.
On-Line Shopping
Still using books as an example, it looks like e-commerce does considerably reduce the number of transportation “legs” involved. Items are shipped to order and sent directly from the warehouse to the customer or even “pre-sold” before they are actually available, further reducing inventory and waste with less over-stock being transported out only to be transported back when it doesn’t sell. The downside to e-commerce is that it often involves airfreight, which requires considerably higher fuel and energy usage and produces more pollution than ground transportation. However, the overall carbon output of transporting multiple orders in one truck or one plane is still more efficient than multiple consumers driving multiple vehicles to multiple stores. Â
On-line shopping does seem to be a better option for the environment and will probably get even better as manufacturers see the economic benefits connected to environmentally conscious choices. If you do shop in a store, try to shop for used or local merchandise whenever possible and walk, take the bus or carpool when you do.  Just for fun, check out Patagonia’s nifty site called the Footprint Chronicles which takes you through the steps involved in selling one garment, from design to production to storefront.Â
Happy Clicking.
April 17th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
I have not driven through a drive-through in over 2 years. If I need a coffee or a Big Mac, I park my car, get out and walk into the store. I have also written every elected official that is applicable to me [I have recieved zero replies] to try and get drive throughs banned. In the province of Ontario, where I live, every day thousands of idle-hours are used up waiting in line with the engine running for a product that can just as easily be purchased at the counter. Fast food restaurants have no excuse in this day and age to operate drive-through windows, yet no one seems to care. Thank you for your time,
Geoff Rae
April 18th, 2008 at 6:54 am
We try to do what I call trip pooling. If one of us needs to go to the local food coop, we’ll call others who also shop there and ask if they need anything picked up (usually turns out to be milk). Our trip saves someone else a trip.
April 18th, 2008 at 6:56 am
I ask friends to pick up things in the city when they go, and restore old high-MPG cars. I try to use recycled or local materials, and fix anything that would otherwise be trashed.
April 18th, 2008 at 6:58 am
Live life, having less is more and do not cut back on eating out and shopping. Instead, eat at home and use leftovers and one day a week do not use your car or go shopping out of boredom. There will be withdrawls but in three or four days, you find something to do around the home. How about finding more ways to make it green?
April 18th, 2008 at 6:59 am
I only use recycled shopping bags no plastic and go shopping on my way home from work. I also do a lot of online s hopping so I don’t have to leave my house.
April 18th, 2008 at 7:13 am
I try not to shop online unless I am buying multiple items to justify the gas it takes to put it on my doorstep. When I do go shopping around town, I always plan for mulitple errands, and buy ahead so I won’t have to go more than every other week. A challenge for a large family like ours, but is it do-able with some organization!
April 18th, 2008 at 7:27 am
We use stainless steel water bottles instead of buying single serving water bottles.
We use PureCool water filters for our water cooler instead of having bottled water delivered!
Both save us tons of money and are great for the environment too! And we don’t give up a thing.
April 18th, 2008 at 7:30 am
We use NanoSticks in our pool and hot tub because we need a lot fewer chemicals that way! It’s better for the environment AND our skin!
April 18th, 2008 at 7:38 am
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April 18th, 2008 at 7:54 am
I get a 5% discount at my local grocery store on Tuesdays. (It’s a chain, but they market local products as well as their own organic line of foods in recyclable packaging.) That is the ONLY day I shop. I save up my other stops and only use my vehicle once a week. If I run out of something, I do without until Tuesday. Likewise, if I forget something, I do without it for a week, and then you can be sure I won’t forget it again!
Other than groceries, I don’t buy much; I live on 50% of poverty line income. However, on the rare occasion that I buy something new, I never buy things that are packaged in molded styrofoam.
I NEVER use drive-through anything. Why do we even allow business to be conducted in such a lazy, wasteful way?
April 18th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Shopping green, well, I don’t do much shopping much lately. As far as my groceries are concerned, I do try to buy as much as I can so I don’t have to head to the store each week, especially living 15 minutes from the nearest grocery store. There is some shopping that does require a 45 minute drive to a real store to get certain items (business clothes, shoes, etc…). Trying stuff on and getting it right saves having to ship the stuff back and start to process all over again. I don’t shop at big box stores and I carry my own cloth bags into the store with me.
Sure would like to know if the bags that frozen foods come in are recyclable?
A list of non-permeant improvements for renters can make on the place they live would be great; in addition to changing out light bulbs and recycling everything that comes into the house?
April 18th, 2008 at 8:17 am
I shop green by running errands with my friends. We all shop at the same places anyway, might as well use one car instead of 2 or 3!
April 18th, 2008 at 8:18 am
We make a list of needs on the refrigerator board, when it gets full or has desperately needed items, I itemize what is needed from where. From that I map out what path to take that enables us to get to all the locations in one trip only taking right turns until the last destination in that direction, then we head back and stop at locations on the other side if needed. I take my canvas bags. Also, making things from scratch cut down on grocery trips because flour, sugar and those items are usually sold in bulk. Planting a garden also cuts down on trips to the store as Veggies and herbs are needed fresh, if they are in your yard, you’re helping in more ways than one! We’re working on fruit trees in our yard, as we love fruit and it sustains our wildlife and ourselves.
April 18th, 2008 at 9:48 am
I have an organic box of vegetables and organic cheese delivered every week. I shop locally at small shops for groceries and try not to use supermarkets. We shop quite a lot at ebay for computer and other electronic equipment, bikes etc. I have a feeling we should grow some of our own food because the price is shooting up. Transport is a problem because of lack of public transport so we have to have a car and it’s not always easy to car share.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:51 am
My husband and I try to consolidate our trips when we shop to cut down on our driving. We use canvas bags for groceries and take a supply of glass and plastic containers for bulk items like honey, syrup or olives. We also re-use our coffee bags and produce bags.
We are not big box shoppers–actually we despise them on many levels–environmentally, aesthetically, and socially. We typically support local merchants, especially during the Farmer’s Market season when we buy locally grown, organic produce. Occassionally, I shop on-line, but not often–only when I need something I can’t find locally.
We are hoping that if there is improved bus service in our area that we can, from time to time, take the bus to do our shopping–the current bus schedule in our area makes that difficult.
April 18th, 2008 at 11:36 am
I car pool with my married daughter about once a week for groceries and whatever else we need. I try to buy in bulk as too not make as many trips.
My husband rides his bike and then buses to work.
My youngest son either carpools to school or rides his bike.
We also recycle, use the energy efficient light bulbs. I unplug the power strips at night and we keep the thermostat lower than normal. The kids are now getting in the habit of turning off the tv and lights when they leave the room.
April 18th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Shopping at yard sales on Saturday mornings has saved me a lot of money on clothes and household items and I enjoy the thrill of the chase. On the way home, I run chores - library (I recommend the book Not Buying It - My Year Without Shopping), grocery shopping, farmers market (local pork and beef raised humanely, eggs, veggies and fruit), and pick up bags of leaves I see on the curb for adding to my compost heap. I’m taking a 40-hour course for Master Composter, free from Meckleburg County in Charlotte, NC. In return for the instruction, books, wire compost bin and snips, pitchfork, vermiculture kit (worm keeping), native plant exchange with classmates, trips to composting and recycling facilities and community gardens, I have to give back 40 hours in community service, such as teaching composting classes and home waste reduction and helping out at parks and community gardens and events. It is a lot of fun and a great way to meet fascinating people and help our community. Malls and fast food just don’t appeal to me anymore. I’ve unplugged my TV as I never seem to watch it and I don’t have or want a home computer. During the week I try to use public transport to and from work to catch up on some reading and get some exercise. Being Green does not mean being deprived!
April 18th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I’ve committed to computing my carbon footprint and planting the number of trees annually (17 in my case, currently) to get close to zero. Clearly consuming less, using energy more efficiently, driving less (I bought a Honda Fit, but would like a Prius next), is important. Personal awareness and responsibility is necessary. However, the real answers will come at a macro level. Our governments know how they need to change and how to design the tax incentives for businesses to do their part. We have to vote the right people in. A lot could be done immediately, and much more in the next ten years if we got serious. We aren’t there yet.
April 18th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
I live alone and am confined to a motorized wheelchair, so I don’t even own a car. I am lucky in that I can get anything I really need in my neighborhood. Thus my response to this week’s query is that I believe “bricks and mortar” is greener. I have a large cloth bag on the back of my chair, and I don’t let anyone give me plastic (or even paper). I do SOME online shopping, but I am adamant about supporting my local book store and my smaller local pharmacy. I can get on the bus and metrolink with my chair if I must go out of my neighborhood. I buy organic and reusable products if I have a choice, even though they are inevitably more expensive (why??). I support local growers whenever possible, but I would like to know if restricting oneself to buying locally has a negative effect on the economy of third-world countries. I want to do the more globally humane thing. Recently, I have begun cleaning with vinegar and lemons, and I am pleased with the results. That would be my tip: cleaning “green” with lots of cheap vinegar and a few lemons. One doesn’t need to buy the new, very expensive “green” cleaning products.
April 18th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I have not shopped at a Big box store or fast food restaurant in years. I try not to buy much except food or clothes unless something breaks or is worn out. I live in downtown LA, so I don’t have a car. I use the bus to go to work and subway when I can. Most of the things that I require are within walking distance - grocery, farmer’s market, clothing stores. I do use the internet to shop on occasion. Not sure if it’s more efficient for them to ship to me from the warehouse or for them to ship it to a store and then have me travel to get it. hmmmm good one.
April 18th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
We traded in our two Saturns for a Prius and we carpool to work and school now and consolidate our shopping trips and errands. (Public transport has to arranged days in advance.) We ride bikes and walk in the summer whenever we can. We use cloth grocery bags, reuse plastic and paper bags. We shop locally whenever we can but if we can find it locally we shop on-line. We usually opt to buy used books on-line. For the first time this year we have purchased a share in a local farm as part of Community Supported Agriculture. We buy as much bulk, organic, and natural products that we can find and affort, and we practice organic gardening. We are also members of a local food buying club to cut the middle man prices and get more quality choices in our food product. We buy a quarter of a bison from a local bison farm annually and otherwise eat fairly low on the food chain. We shop second hand stores and contribute plenty of our own stuff as donations. We recently made a list of home repairs and projects and decided the highest priority was anything having to do with energy conservation (windows, insulation, etc), so we’re going to start there. Earth Day - Every Day!
April 18th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Let’s see. The most green thing I do is buy most of my clothes and some of my husband’s (and some for my dog!) at local thrift stores. I also find things for gifts and art and other projects. We are lucky in Oregon to have lots of green alternatives for groceries like farmer’s markets and stores like New Seasons. We have been trying to switch to more organic veggies and more humanely produced meats and other animal products. Neither of us likes to cook, but we try to do it more, anyway. When we do eat out, we mostly go to locals vs. chains. Mainly, though, we have cut way back on buying stuff. We’ve got too much already.
For the person looking to make apt life greener, you can put a full jar in toilet tanks to save water, install water filters on taps to avoid buying water, do some simple insulating (towels or blankets blocking door and window drafts.) But a lot is personal choices- like controlling climate by what clothes you wear indoors, or taking fewer showers (try sponge baths,)or what cleaning products you use, etc, etc. (But probably you already knew that…)You could also do things like asking your apt management if they’re using greener alternatives for grounds maintenance (less toxic herbi- or pesti- cides)and if not, ask that they try them. That’s all I can think of right now. (sorry for length of post.)
April 19th, 2008 at 1:15 am
Never buy or it meat. Eat less from eggs och milk products. Health will become better and there will be more food for those who need it.
April 19th, 2008 at 5:25 am
I only grocery shop on my way hoome from work because I live 30 minutes from the nearest grocery store. I only use my reuseable totes when I shop and I use EverFresh disks in my crispers to keep fruits and veggies fresh longer. I pack my lunch every day instead of driving on my lunch hour at work and I use reuseable packaging for all my lunch items, no baggies! I do not buy bottled water, we use a Britta filtration system and stainless steel water bottles. I have not gone through a drive through in ages and I do shop online a good bit, but this can be difficult for clothing purchases.
Another thing we do to try to reduce shipping of produce, is instead of buying from the chain grocery, I stop at at road side market on the way home for local grown produce when available.
April 19th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
We are trying to “green” a bedroom where a smoker previously lived by re-doing the walls/ceiling. We’re shopping online and by phone for insulation, vapor barrier, sealing tape and wallboard. (Of course, we’ll use no-VOC paint.)
We’re seeking the safest, healthiest air quality, least off-gassing of materials. Later, we’ll “green up” the remainder of the house. We want to make the house so healthy that someone with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) could live there without reacting to the many toxic remodeling products on the market today. Suggestions for “safest green materials are appreciated”.
April 19th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
We are not big consumers. Reduce/reuse/recycle. We grocery shop in quantity and bulk, once every 4 months at Trader Joe’s. It’s a full day’s journey roundtrip but saves us lots of money in the longrun. We only need local produce once a week and only buy what’s on sale or savings. We refill gallon water bottles at that time with reverse osmosis machines. Refill shampoo/conditioner from bulk grocery. We use natural & eco products and not ‘brand name’ or “Big Chemical” items.
We live in a resort town so we go once every 6-8 wks to get house supplies at a box store bcz we’re at poverty level income. Trade off for redrock beauty is no decent or lucrative local jobs.
We bring everything that’s possible to recycle to the center around the corner weekly. We use cloth bags & reuse the TJ’s paper bags until they shred. We use rags and NEVER buy paper towels. Soap/water or vinegar/water for cleaning.
We sew and repair clothes. Hardly ever buy anything new. We are not into fads or trends. We don’t buy electronic devices. Same pc since 2000, same cell sice 2001. Same car since 2002. We shop garage sales & Freecycle. We garden.
Our heat is set at 69* and we use sweaters and blankets. Arizona necessitates a/c but we set it at 81* and don’t use it till summer, not in spring. We use windows & window blinds throughout the day to regulate temperature well.
We turn off lights and use compact florescents in all lamps/light fixtures. We sit in the dark or use candles alot.
We do bills online so as not to collect paper bills & save stamps. We launder full loads only & in cold only, hang-dry as much as possible.
We do with less and try not to be American consumers unless necessary.
April 19th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I’m glad shopping bags are back in vogue. Growing up in post war Britain we had to pay for a brown paper bag if we wanted one. We bought from local (organic although they didn’t know it) nurseries, and mended everything that broke. We washed the kitchen catchers (no plastic bags needed) and made our own clothes. And, of course, we always switched out the light when we left a room, and only heated the room in which we sat (don’t recommend THAT!). Compost was a given. Nowadays I trundle my cart to the stores whenever I can, complete with canvas bags and containers to recycle. I use my bike more in the summer and feel better for it. Vegetarian. Wash cold. The usual. The MOST useful tip to pass on I guess is to chat with the storekeepers and office workers so that green consciousness becomes endemic. We are all so spoiled and lazy on this continent that we have forgotten how to think for ourselves. (Except for all the caring people above that is!).
April 20th, 2008 at 6:16 am
I purchase from local brick-n-mortar about 8 miles away in bulk once a month, from an employee-owned supermarket that’s 1 mile from my house more frequently and purchase only concentrated earth-friendly cleaning supplies that last much longer than toxic ones online. This saves gas/shipping by not having the weight of water added in: I mix my own full-strength cleaners from the concentrates in my home. When I do make an order, I try to get everything I need for a while at once. Now that local crops are growing again, I’ll be getting produce from a localvore delivery service that drops off everyone’s packages at a nearby drop-off point (about 2 miles) which also happens to be a local apple orchard.
April 20th, 2008 at 6:32 am
when I clicked on this link I expected an expert breakdown as to the best way to to GREENLY purchase items. I would like more condensed facts please
April 20th, 2008 at 9:55 am
wow, i thought i was the only person in the whole united states that actually works at being eco-sensitive. it was encouraging and humbling to read all those that wrote. i do what i can to live on less than my income but the woman who lives on 50% poverty income may have surpassed me! i turn my engine off if i’m at the bank drive-in. that started long ago when my deceased husband was working the drive-up window at his bank. he used to gag on the fumes. i also turn the engine off at long red lights. i use mass transit for long trips. sadly, it’s usually very inconvenient, especially since there isn’t any public transport to connect me to the mass transit. i only shop for essentials & don’t hoard. if i don’t have a non-essential item, i do without it or substitute. i absolutely despise big box stores and have supported campaigns against them. i choose to not own a tv, cell phone, ipod, etc., but i do have a computer that i turn off when i’m not using it. i wonder if the person who said they don’t have a computer used the local library to transmit their message. speaking of the library, all my books and the majority of my music comes from the local library. i combine errands, use cloth or no bag when possible. i recycle & use the local organic farm in season. it’s become a way of life for me & i’m pleased to know there are others who are living as green as they can.
April 20th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I am using a clothes line and a wooden folding drying rack for indoors drying…the clothes smell great and I am not using my dryer…I actually transferred to a position closer to my home so that I can bike to work! We need more biking lanes because I know the interest is there if it were more safe for riders to get to work, errands, shopping…
April 21st, 2008 at 4:58 am
I cycle or walk to the local shops, and take a rucksack to bring it all home in. I don’t buy processed food. I try to use local shpos whenever I can, and limit my trips to the supermarket as much as possible. I buy fruit & veg that has been produced as locally as possible
April 21st, 2008 at 6:27 am
I use PureCool water filters instead of having bottled water delivered, I use NanoSticks for my pool and spa because I need fewer chemicals and its better for my skin AND the environment, and I use stainless steel personal water bottles instead of buying water in plastic bottles. If you google purecool water filters and nanosticks you should be able to find these great products! Good luck!
April 21st, 2008 at 9:33 am
The ideal is undoubtedly to purchase locally made products from local retailers, but short of that it seems that the carbon footprint associated with shopping online (and having packages delivered by carriers who are probably driving down most streets anyway), compared to the emissions associated with each of us driving several miles to and from individual stores, ought to be less for the online shopper.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Everyone carries on about reducing plastic bags. If they were biodegradable, that would be OK. What about garbage bags- you still have to buy them to dispose your garbage.
A lot of people would save on electricity at home but they don’t worry about it at their workplace.
April 26th, 2008 at 6:45 am
Instead of buying new clothes, borrow clothes from your friends, so you have something different to where but you don’t have to waste energy and money.
April 27th, 2008 at 7:48 am
We use Pure Cool water filters which allow us to enjoy pure, clean water while saving exponentially over the cost of bottled water. We also save the planet by not contributing to the use of fossil fuels to manufacture, deliver and dispose of all those bottles!
The nano-stick in our pool helps keep it clean, sparing us the transdermal exposure to so much chlorine and saving me gobs of money on chemicals.
April 27th, 2008 at 10:04 am
First of all, I only buy what I need. The “greenest” purchase is the one that isn’t made.
Second, I buy things that last - clothes, furniture, etc. If you buy something of quality and enduring “style” chances are you won’t have to replace it for a long time.
Third, once I decide to buy something, I try to support merchants that make sustainable/environmentally friendly products and that are responsible corporate citizens (e.g. Patagonia).
On-line or bricks and mortar? Depends. No bricks and mortar experience can beat the web on finding what you want/need, comparing products, etc. I find shopping on-line also helps avoid impulse purchases/upsell that often happens in stores. But it’s hard to try things on on-line or see their full-size.
So mostly for convenience, I end up purchasing most things on-line, but I think more important than where you buy is making sure you buy only what you need, buying things that will last and supporting responsible merchants in the process.