Here’s how you and your family can restock in an eco-friendly way \u2013 with sustainable shopping in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What shopping does to the Earth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before you get your family set on a more planet-focused way to shop, it\u2019s helpful to know the difference you\u2019ll be making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019ve ever ordered something in a few colours or sizes with a plan to keep just one, you\u2019re not alone. 40% of us shop that way. (It even has a name: \u2018bracketing\u2019.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But a huge amount of our solid waste comes from packaging \u2013 that is, things that are used to ship, store and protect products, which is discarded soon after the product is purchased. And those returns? Often, like packaging, they simply end up in landfill.<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhy all the waste instead of your item being resold? \u201cIt might take too much time and effort to inspect every product,\u201d says Meagan Knowlton, director of sustainability at Optoro, a company that helps businesses streamline their returns to reduce waste. \u201cThese companies are really good at selling to you. They\u2019re not necessarily optimised at returns.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knowlton adds that the transportation of those returns adds up to nearly 16 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. That\u2019s about the yearly emissions of 3.5 million cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plastic problems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
But reducing fossil fuel consumption from shopping isn\u2019t just about vehicle emissions. It\u2019s also about the environmental cost of production, especially when creating synthetic plastics from natural gas, coal or crude oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That can include lots of back-to-school shopping items like synthetic fabrics, glitter or even erasers that are hard to recycle. If nothing changes, a team of experts from organisations including the Centre for International Environmental Law predicts that CO2<\/sub> emissions from producing plastic products could triple by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And what happens to those products is concerning. According to a report published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as of 2015, 79% of the plastic produced in the last 10 years was in landfills or littering the environment. And 40% of that plastic comes from \u2013 you guessed it \u2013 packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kids care deeply about protecting the environment<\/a>, but their brains are also wired to want new stuff. That\u2019s because the thrill of shopping can boost the feel-good hormone dopamine in kids\u2019 noodles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMany people think that dopamine is released when the brain receives a reward. But dopamine is actually released in anticipation <\/em>of a reward,\u201d says Asha Patton-Smith, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. \u201cSo, the build-up in dopamine before <\/em>the buy, then surges with <\/em>the buy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patton-Smith suggests reconciling kids\u2019 need to be kind to Earth with their need for more stuff by having a series of conversations \u2013 and by modelling good behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cParents are the best example,\u201d she says. \u201cBy consistently not buying the new, hot thing themselves, or by explaining to kids what they\u2019re buying and why they\u2019re buying it, kids will learn through experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start by helping children think critically about their consumption: \u201cWhat is this thing doing to help the environment, or how is it hurting the environment?\u201d <\/em>If they\u2019re salivating over, say, a cartoon-figure lunch box, have them think about where the product came from and how it gets to your house. Older kids can break down the cost of transport, how much fuel is used, or how much water is used to grow the raw materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, kids begin to understand the lunch box is so much more than what they see,\u201d Patton-Smith says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And even if you broke down and bought those sparkly new trainers, Patton-Smith suggests checking in after a few weeks to see if kids still feel the same way about the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThose dopamine levels fall after the buy,\u201d she says. \u201cUse that instant gratification as a teaching moment to reshape how children look at things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes the best way to show kids the impact of their consumption is to bring them face-to-face with their actions by visiting a recycling centre, landfill or dump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was once told that when you throw something away, it\u2019s going away from you, but it\u2019s not actually going away,\u201d Knowlton says. \u201cIt\u2019s staying on the Earth, it\u2019s going to a dump or a landfill, and it\u2019s going to sit there for a long, long time. If you keep using a product, you\u2019re keeping something in use and not putting it in a dump.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here at National Geographic Kids, sustainability is at the fore-front of our business<\/a>. That\u2019s why, in the UK, our monthly magazines made from recycled paper and FSC-certified card. Plus, they\u2019re recyclable too! Learn about all the other benefits of a National Geographic Kids subscription today.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Experts agree that mindful shopping \u2013 whether it\u2019s your back-to-school shopping list, throwing an (almost) zero waste party<\/a>, or a sustainable shopping goal for Christmas \u2013 is key to teaching kids about Earth-friendly consumption. \u201cWe can raise a generation that has totally different buying habits than we had in the past.\u201d Nation says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how your family can get that done this season\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n That cute K-pop lunchbox probably isn\u2019t going to have the same appeal in a few months. But a sleek, more durable lunch container stays hip at all ages. Ellis Jones, associate professor of sociology at the College of the Holy Cross, says you can use your kids\u2019 desire to be more grown-up to Earth\u2019s advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI often frame it as \u2018Would you prefer to buy that water bottle with your favourite character on it, or would you prefer one like Dad has?\u201d he says. \u201cThey feel even cooler because they have one that\u2019s something you earn as an adult.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Explain to kids that by waiting a little longer for their order, they can reduce the number of delivery cars on the road \u2013 and the greenhouse gases they emit. Even if you end up getting multiple packages after foregoing fast shipping, you\u2019re likely making a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe products may be coming from two warehouses, but they\u2019re sending two trucks fully loaded to your location rather than sending one car to your house,\u201d says Miguel Jaller, co-director of the sustainable freight research program at the University of California Davis. \u201cIf you don\u2019t need two-hour delivery, don\u2019t use two-hour delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When mum Annamarie Dopheide\u2019s six-year-old wants a new plastic fad item (say, one of those hot pop-it fidgets to keep at his desk), \u201cI let him help me make a post in our local \u2018Buy Nothing\u2019 group,\u201d she says. If it doesn\u2019t appear, they\u2019ll shop for a more sustainable version.<\/p>\n\n\nTalking to kids about sustainable shopping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Break it down.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Show them the reality.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Top tips for sustainable shopping <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Look for stuff that lasts.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Be patient.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Look for swapping or gently-used items.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIf you can, try to buy better quality.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n