Smart shopping tips
It is estimated that over 10 million tonnes of packaging waste
is produced in the UK and up to 30% of household waste is
packaging. The average Londoner wastes a staggering £2,200
every year on unwanted food and goods. Did you know that packaging
can add up to 20% to the cost of food. This figure can increase up
to 40% on
cosmetics.
By 'smart' shopping we can greatly reduce the amount of waste we
produce and can save money too. It's not difficult, it
doesn't take any extra time and it can make a very big
difference.
10 Top Tips:
- Make a list before you go shopping. It will help you not to buy
items which won’t get used
- Don’t be lured by special offers and always check “use by”
dates
- Take your own shopping bags and avoid plastic carrier bags.
Plastic bags cost money to produce and this cost is either directly
or indirectly passed on to consumers
- Buy items which are loose or have less packaging on them – they
are usually cheaper than over packaged goods. Complain to the store
if you think the goods are over-packaged and/or remove excess
packaging and hand it back to the store. See below about reporting overpackaged items
- If possible buy in bulk and avoid multi-packs of small
containers
- Don’t go shopping when you are hungry as this may encourage you
to buy food that you won’t eat
- Avoid single use and disposable items and buy refillable
products where possible e.g. refill your water bottle instead of
buying a new one
- Don’t forget to close the loop - buy recycled products made
from recycled materials if possible (toilet paper, tissues, refuse
sacks)
- Buy rechargeable batteries. These can be recharged 1000 times,
so by buying a pack of 4, you are saving 4000 batteries from going
to landfill
- Use low energy light bulbs. They save energy as well as money
on your bills. They also last 8 times longer so you won't need to
keep changing them and disposing of bulbs
When throwing something away ask yourself a few questions.
- Does it really belong in the rubbish bin?
- Can it be refilled?
- Can it be recycled?
- Can it be reused?
- Can it be composted?
Contacting us about
over-packaged goods
If you have bought or have identified
a product on sale within Tower Hamlets that is over-packaged and
you want Trading Standards to investigate then please complete
our online form.
Alternatively, please call us on 020
7364 5008. If the goods were bought outside the borough please call
Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05
06.