HOW TO SHOP GREENER

Affordable ways to be eco-friendly,

BUY OR RENT SECONDHAND CLOTHES

“The clothes production industry is a huge emitter of carbon — and it uses a huge amount of water resources,” said Katie Smith of ChangeX. Buying second-hand clothes is usually cheaper than buying new — and should also help reduce your fashion carbon footprint. There are plenty of charity shops around the country which sell clothes in a good condition. Another way to cut your fashion footprint is to rent, rather than buy, clothes for special occasions. A number of businesses, such as Borrower Boutique and Rag Revolution, specialise in this area.

REPAIR YOUR CLOTHES AND SHOES

Many items are thrown out, when a simple repair could allow them to continue to be used. Rather than throwing out damaged clothes and shoes, see if you can repair them. Apply the same rule to furniture, bicycles, electrical appliances, toys and so on. There are a number of repair cafes around the country where there are tools and materials to help you make repairs. You can find more details about repair cafes from ChangeX.

GROW YOUR OWN VEG

“By growing your own veg, you can help cut down on food air miles,” said Smith. Food air miles mark the distance food travels before being consumed. It is usually better for the environment to buy food grown nearby and which is in season.

HOLIDAY AT HOME

Studies have found aeroplane emissions of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, are growing at a faster rate than previously thought. Air travel is a big contributor to carbon emissions — so cutting back on your flights abroad and using environmentally friendly modes of transport at home could help the climate.

BUY A REUSABLE COFFEE CUP

Almost 200 million disposable coffee cups are thrown away every year in Ireland, according to a report published last year by Recycling List Ireland. Most single-use coffee cups cannot be put in the recycling bin (apart from the lids and sleeves), and so must be disposed of in your general waste bin. To cut back on this waste, buy a reusable coffee cup for your takeaway drinks. Reusable coffee cups typically cost between €10 and €20 and can be bought in most supermarkets and department stores — as well as from some online retailers. “A lot of coffee shops offer a discount if you bring your own reusable cup when buying coffee,” said Smith. You can find a list of the coffee shops which offer such discounts — which typically range from 10c to 50c depending on the shop — on consciouscup.ie. For those who do not have a reusable cup, you could buy your coffee from chains which have introduced compostable cups — such as Frank and Honest Coffee, and Insomnia.