Green Shopping : A Guide to Shopping!

When you complete your shopping list this holiday season, please take note of some of these things to make your purchases “greener”:

1. Avoid anything plastic. If your buying gifts for mothers or homemakers who need something in the kitchen, pick aluminum, wood or steel kitchen gadgets. There are plenty of nice looking food storages, for example, which are made in glass. It’s bulkier but the thought of having to use this for a long time, outweighs the fact that it’s a heavy gift. Besides, glass containers are better than plastic. Even microwavable ones. If you have to pick out toys, go for the wood variety and those that do not come with lead painting and other toxic materials.

2. Minimize purchases on wrapping paper. Even if the label says the paper comes from recycled materials, don’t. Truly go with recycling and use what you already have at home. Maybe there are some unused art papers lying around and you can make something out of it. Or use cloth wrappers, like old hankies and scarves. It should look so much better, too!

3. Read labels and packaging well. Just because something has been labeled natural, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is. Some entrepreneurs jump the bandwagon, not realizing if their products are indeed eco-friendly.

4. Gifting perfume and cosmetics? Make sure that these are phalate free. Phalate has been proven to be a health hazard. Many cosmetics company have eliminated this from their products, so be sure to read the label too.