Most of us are, relatively speaking, more aware of the environment and our impact on it these days. Even so, it seems unlikely that we are going to transform into a nation of eco-warriors overnight - but the majority of us are more than happy to put in some effort to be kinder to the environment. In fact it's a lot of relatively small changes by a large number of people that will produce the biggest difference. The good news is that you can save both time and money whilst still being more environmentally friendly!
For example, a study undertaken by Carnegie Melon University recently concluded that shopping on the internet has a reduced environmental impact when compared to the traditional method of using traditional retail outlets. One example used in the study was the purchase of a flash memory stick. The environmental impact of the traditional retail method was found to be 35% greater than making a similar purchase online.
A parallel study - performed by CleanTech - found that the typical carbon footprint of a conventional printed book was 7.5 kg of CO2 over its lifespan. However, this figure doubled if the customer got into their car, drove to the store, picked up their book and then drove home again instead of having it delivered by mail.
Approximately 65% of the emissions generated by traditional shopping methods are a direct result of the customer's transport to the store and back again.
Not only is shopping online better for the environment - it will save you time and you will often be able to find what you're after at a better price. You can increase the environmental benefits even more simply by choosing the right type of product.
For example, if you choose to buy electronic books instead of the conventional printed type, you will save on paper, ink and the energy used in the printing and binding process. As a rule, electronic books are cheaper than the printed versions - plus you save on gas. You can even subscribe to get newspapers and magazines delivered to e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle reader every day.
Likewise, if you opt to download music to your PC or mp3 player, you will save on CDs, packaging and distribution emissions. Downloading movies, which you can now do from Amazon, iTunes and a host of other sites also has both financial and environmental benefits.
So when it comes to buying on the web, why not consider a two pronged attack. Firstly, if you can avoid a trip to the store in your car by buying online then that will generally be a good option. Secondly, if you can substitute downloadable products for physical ones then not only will you be doing your bit for the environment - but you will save time and money into the bargain.
Find out more about the Amazon Kindle reader and see how you can save money by downloading free books for the Kindle.
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