Buy wisely, buy sustainably
There was a time when ‘shopping’ meant a dreary trip into town, kids in tow, to purchase the week's essentials. Somewhere along the line however shopping has been transformed from a regular chore into a leisure pursuit. Shopping has become big business and people are now spending increasing amounts of time and money buying stuff they don't need with money they can't afford.
We may grumble about the price of essentials like bread and milk in Jersey but it doesn't appear to dampen our enthusiasm for shopping. According to a 2005 report (Experian, 2005), we spend 21 per cent more per head of population than people on the UK mainland. The same report revealed that spending on luxuries in Jersey is a staggering 47 per cent higher.
Shopping sustainably means making choices based on what you need rather than on what you want. Buying more sustainable products is a good start, but ultimately it is about doing the minimum amount of harm to the environment and your own health and well being by learning to live with less.
Before you buy, think about whether you can afford it and whether you really need it. The following questions might help guide your thinking: