Many of us are keen to make planet-friendly and ethical choices when it comes to how and what we consume. This is more important than ever given the devastating impacts consumption, and particularly overconsumption, can have on our climate, ecosystems, habitats and communities.
Governments and companies around the world need to do much more to prevent environmental and human rights violations in global supply chains. But we as individuals can also make a difference through our purchasing habits and lifestyle choices.
Check out our top tips for small, everyday changes that can help make the world a better place.
1. Eat less (andbetter) meat and dairy
You might be surprised to discover that farming animals is one of the biggest contributors to climate change.
Meat and dairy production causes 14.5% of planet-warming gases.
Rainforests are being felled to make way for soya, most of which is being used to feed factory-farmed pigs and poultry.
Learn more about eco-friendly eatingby heading to our food pages, including our guide to better meat and dairy.
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Eating less meat and dairy can free up land for more tree planting and forests – good for nature and for tackling climate change.
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Eating less meat and dairy can free up land for more tree planting and forests – good for nature and for tackling climate change.
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Eating more plants and less meat is good for your health. Processed and red meat is linked to heart disease, bowel cancer and other illnesses.
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Eating more plants and less meat is good for your health. Processed and red meat is linked to heart disease, bowel cancer and other illnesses.
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Shops now have a great range of milk alternatives. Find your perfect match, like an oat milk cappuccino.
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Shops now have a great range of milk alternatives. Find your perfect match, like an oat milk cappuccino.
2. Avoid palm oil
Palm oil is cheap to cultivate, which is why it’s used in so many of the products we buy.
When David Attenborough recently returned to Indonesia he wasshocked at how much forest had been replaced by oil-palm plantations.
12.5% of Southeast Asian forest has been destroyed to make way for palm oil and other commodities.The iconic orangutan lives in these forests. As its habitat disappears, so too does its chances of survival.
Discover palm-free products in Ethical Consumer magazine.
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Palm oil is widely used in lots of products, including cosmetics, shampoos, margarines, bread, crisps, ice cream and cleaning products.
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Palm oil is widely used in lots of products, including cosmetics, shampoos, margarines, bread, crisps, ice cream and cleaning products.
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Some products say they contain sustainably-sourced palm oil – inferring that they aren't linked to deforestation. But at the moment we can't be sure that these claims are reliable.
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Some products say they contain sustainably-sourced palm oil – inferring that they aren't linked to deforestation. But at the moment we can't be sure that these claims are reliable.
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Search for palm-oil free products and brands. Image © Marco Verch (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
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Search for palm-oil free products and brands. Image © Marco Verch (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
3. Reduce food waste
That feeling you getwhen you throw food out. Not good, right?
10 million tonnes of food goes to waste in the UK every year. That's as weighty as about 790,000 double-decker buses.
Stop the guilt trip. Discover easy tricksand recipes for making the most of your food with the experts atLove Food Hate Waste.And we’ve got some tips to help you reduce your food waste, including waste-busting apps.
4. Buy less stuff
Most of us could probably do with less stuff in our lives.
Unfortunately we're hardwired to feel good about getting something new. Retailers feast on this weakness, tempting our pleasure receptors with upgrades and sales.
Rising demands for raw materials to make these things –like oil, metals and water –are damaging the environment.
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Buy better-made clothes and shoes. They may cost more upfront, but they’ll be cheaper in the long-run.
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Buy better-made clothes and shoes. They may cost more upfront, but they’ll be cheaper in the long-run.
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Repairing rather than replacing can also lessen the load on your wallet and the planet.
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Repairing rather than replacing can also lessen the load on your wallet and the planet.
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Buy and sell unwanted goods using websites like Shpock, Gumtree and Ebay.
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Buy and sell unwanted goods using websites like Shpock, Gumtree and Ebay.
5. Use good wood
Our country imports a lotof products made from wood – like paper and furniture. It takes an area of land almost 3 times the size of Wales to grow all that wood.
First, try to buy reclaimed or pre-loved wooden furniture wherever possible, and recycled paper products. Next best is to buy wood and wood products from UK or EU sources. If that fails, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo is your next option,but the scheme has not been without its troubles.
Check how good retailers are at ensuring their wood comes from sustainable sources by using WWF’s timber scorecard, and take a look at our Good Wood Guide.
Why trees are great
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The Amazon produces a lot of the oxygen we need to breathe.
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The Amazon produces a lot of the oxygen we need to breathe.
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Tropical rainforests are one of the most wildlife-rich habitats in the world.
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Tropical rainforests are one of the most wildlife-rich habitats in the world.
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Trees give us shade, clean up air pollution, and provide wildlife habitats.
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Trees give us shade, clean up air pollution, and provide wildlife habitats.
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In rural areas trees can hold back flood waters and prevent soil erosion.
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In rural areas trees can hold back flood waters and prevent soil erosion.
What's so good about trees?
6. Reduce plastic pollution
It’s impossible to go for a walk without findingplastic waste: from crisp packets tobottles and bags.
But some forms of plastic aren't even visible to the naked eye. Around a third of our clothes contain tiny plastic threads. When washed they can escape into the sea and end up in the stomachs of fish.
The problem of plastic pollution is now big news. Images of sea life entangled in our plastic waste are being broadcast around the world.Check out our guide to living without plastic.
7. Eat less (andbetter) fish
Our seas are much emptier than they used to be because of overfishing.
Some types of fishing are particularly harmful. Mangrove forests are cut down to make way for farming prawns, and dynamite fishing damages coral reefs.
Buy sustainable fish– and eat less of it to help lower the demand for fishing. Look out forcertification by theAquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) or the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). For help choosingsustainable seafood, see the Good Fish Guide.
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Fish farming is rapidly increasing, leading to serious environmental harm. For example, mangrove forests are being cleared to farm prawns. Mangrove forests are huge wildlife-rich carbon stores.
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Fish farming is rapidly increasing, leading to serious environmental harm. For example, mangrove forests are being cleared to farm prawns. Mangrove forests are huge wildlife-rich carbon stores.
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Coral reefs are also being overfished. Dynamite fishing damages the coral and kills all the fish in the area – including juvenile fish which then get discarded.
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Coral reefs are also being overfished. Dynamite fishing damages the coral and kills all the fish in the area – including juvenile fish which then get discarded.
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Choose fish that is fished sustainably. Look out for the Marine Stewardship Council logo. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council is a similar certification scheme for farmed fish.
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Choose fish that is fished sustainably. Look out for the Marine Stewardship Council logo. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council is a similar certification scheme for farmed fish.
Help reduce plastics in our oceans
9. Buy from sustainable businesses
As manufacturers and retailers strive to provide us with the cheapest possible products, they cut corners – harming people and the planet.
It’s often the poorest in the world who bear the main brunt.
So when you do buy new, look for brands that are transparent about the materials they use and the working conditions of their employees. Get more informed with our partner Ethical Consumer magazine, which provides 130 detailed product guides which subscribers can customise according to personal concerns.
Companies working to do better
10. Recycle and compost your waste
What has waste got to do with global warming?
More than 50% of our waste gets sent to landfill or burnt in incinerators. Both release planet-warming gases into the atmosphere.
It’s much better to recycle and compost. For example, 20 times more energy is used to make a new can than one from recycled sources.
Though buying less stuff or buying second-hand is even better.
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Mining materials to make new products causes climate pollution.Recycling lowers the demand for these damaging materials.
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Mining materials to make new products causes climate pollution.Recycling lowers the demand for these damaging materials.
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Methane is a climate change gas. Composting reduces methane emissions from landfilland enriches soil for growing plants and food.
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Methane is a climate change gas. Composting reduces methane emissions from landfilland enriches soil for growing plants and food.
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Some local authorities have food collections for composting, and separate ones for garden waste.
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Some local authorities have food collections for composting, and separate ones for garden waste.
11. Bank and invest ethically
The most destructive projects don't get off the ground without finance from banks or investors.
Shun planet-wrecking practices by switching to an ethical bank.
There’s a growing movement to stop investing pensions in coal, oil and gas. Ask your employer where your pension money is invested.
