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| lish:shopping [2025/12/05 17:30] – created asimong | lish:shopping [2025/12/17 04:30] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| ## What is low-impact shopping? | ## What is low-impact shopping? |
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| Shopping is one of the most environmentally-damaging things that humans do, so reducing its impact is vitally important. The sheer scale of it is constantly increasing, and we are forever being pestered to buy more by the advertising industry. Products contain more and more unhealthy, polluting, non-biodegradable ingredients; and then there's the huge growth of just a few retailers who dominate our economies, concentrating wealth and power in a way that seriously damages [democracy](/thde/the_democracy_problem) and decimates small businesses. | Shopping is one of the most environmentally-damaging things that humans do, so reducing its impact is vitally important. The sheer scale of it is constantly increasing, and we are forever being pestered to buy more by the advertising industry. Products contain more and more unhealthy, polluting, non-biodegradable ingredients; and then there's the huge growth of just a few retailers who dominate our economies, concentrating wealth and power in a way that seriously damages [democracy](/demo/democracy) and decimates small businesses. |
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| <WRAP center centeralign> | <WRAP center centeralign> |
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| **Shop local:** this local shop in Buckinghamshire provided locally-produced honey, free-range eggs, fruit, vegetables, bacon, sausages and firewood, until competition from an out-of-town superstore closed them down. There are strategies to preserve and re-introduce local shops, which are essential for strong, vibrant communities. | _**Shop local:** this local shop in Buckinghamshire provided locally-produced honey, free-range eggs, fruit, vegetables, bacon, sausages and firewood, until competition from an out-of-town superstore closed them down. There are strategies to preserve and re-introduce local shops, which are essential for strong, vibrant communities._ |
| </caption> | </caption> |
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| **Shop less:** have a go at growing some of your own food – in your garden, in tubs or window boxes, or if you’re really ambitious, you could apply for an allotment. | _**Shop less:** have a go at growing some of your own food – in your garden, in tubs or window boxes, or if you’re really ambitious, you could apply for an allotment._ |
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| </figure> | </figure> |
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| Possibly the best low-impact shopping advice, from [Adbusters](https://www.adbusters.org/). | _Possibly the best low-impact shopping advice, from [Adbusters](https://www.adbusters.org/)._ |
| </caption> | </caption> |
| </figure> | </figure> |
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| **Green / ethical shopping:** check the ingredients for nasties. Every purchase you make is a vote for or against certain products, companies, activities and/or ingredients – and it works – companies are very responsive to customer preferences. | _**Green / ethical shopping:** check the ingredients for nasties. Every purchase you make is a vote for or against certain products, companies, activities and/or ingredients – and it works – companies are very responsive to customer preferences._ |
| </caption> | </caption> |
| </figure> | </figure> |
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| Following trends wastes resources as well as money, and will embarrass you when looking at old photos. | _Following trends wastes resources as well as money, and will embarrass you when looking at old photos._ |
| </caption> | </caption> |
| </figure> | </figure> |
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| Adbusters are adept at subtly revealing the absurd and unhealthy nature of the advertising industry. | _Adbusters are adept at subtly revealing the absurd and unhealthy nature of the advertising industry._ |
| </caption> | </caption> |
| </figure> | </figure> |
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| <caption> | <caption> |
| [Here’s an article](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/reasons-not-buy-amazon/) with more than enough reasons to boycott Amazon. | _[Here’s an article](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/reasons-not-buy-amazon/) with more than enough reasons to boycott Amazon._ |
| </caption> | </caption> |
| </figure> | </figure> |
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| <caption> | <caption> |
| Car-centred supermarket shopping causes pollution, concentrates wealth and destroys community. | _Car-centred supermarket shopping causes pollution, concentrates wealth and destroys community._ |
| </caption> | </caption> |
| </figure> | </figure> |
| ## Further resources | ## Further resources |
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| ## Specialists | - [Adbusters](https://www.adbusters.org/) - spoof ads, ridiculing corporate advertising campaigns |
| | - [Buycott](https://www.buycott.com/) - app for discovering who's behind what you buy and where your money goes |
| | - [Good Shopping Guide](https://thegoodshoppingguide.com/) - ethical & sustainability comparison website |
| | - [NABMA](https://nabma.com/) - supporting local markets in the UK |
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| | ## Specialist curators of this topic |
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