Did you know ¼ of your personal CO2 emissions come from the purchases you make? The best way to reduce your “shopper’s” carbon footprint is by reducing the amount of plastic and clothing that you buy. As WITF news says, most plastics are made from fossil fuels and can only be recycled a certain amount of times, and still many end up in the trash.
Since recycling infrastructure in the United States needs a lot of work, it’s important to look at changes you can make before even purchasing an item. Luckily, York has a refill store – a type of shop where you can bring in your own old bottles to refill. At Refillism, you can bring in any bottle to refill with whatever you want – cleaners, shampoos, lotions, essential oils, etc. This prevents the bottles you bring from going to the landfill, and allows you to stop purchasing new plastic bottles at the same time.
Our motto, as Elizabeth says in the video, is to reduce, reuse, refill, rethink, and recycle. Remembering these 5 R’s will allow your plastic consumption to decrease exponentially. And, as of right now, Refillism has kept 4,000 bottles from entering the York landfill, all thanks to our wonderful customers who are creating a green community in York County!
While we do have a wonderful selection of new bottles in our store that can be purchased and then brought back to be refilled, we always encourage customers to bring their own bottles from home. Using what you have is always the most sustainable option! This goes for everything, not just bottles. For example, if you decide to try reusable napkins or paper towels, see if you have anything within your home that could work as napkins before purchasing some from Refillism’s selection. Because clothing is another big waste factor when it comes to a shopper’s carbon footprint, one way to reduce clothing waste in this situation is to use old towels or t-shirts for reusable paper towels.
If you decide to purchase new paper towels, purchasing them from a small eco-business is always more sustainable than buying from a large corporation. At Refillism, we have a wonderful selection of paper (less) towels that can be used as napkins too!
For bottles, napkins, or clothing, Refillism also has a secondhand shelf in our store. The best option to reduce your “shopper's” waste is to go thrifting. Anytime you can shop secondhand you are reducing clothing waste and giving new life to something that would otherwise be discarded.
All of us go shopping regularly, whether it’s for groceries, home supplies, or clothes. It’s important to keep the 5 R’s in mind before purchasing an item, and maybe shop at a refill store to prevent purchasing single-use plastic. However, don’t forget to keep in mind what happens after you’ve purchased something. Any item you’ve purchased you are responsible for disposing of it properly. Maybe you can choose to reuse your bottles, repurpose an old towel, or consider donating nice items. This will reduce your carbon footprint immensely!
References:
What can I do about climate change? Part 5: Shop Smart. WITF News. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw7M-ylttM4/