SHOP! SHOP! SHOP!

This was a speech I gave last week at Toastmasters.

Shop till you drop! Retail therapy! A night on the town! Buy now pay later! 15 months interest free! SALE on now! Two for the price of 1!

Consumer society, we've got it made…....but wait, more shopping = more goods = more packaging = More landfill….shopping till you drop is not good for the environment…......but wait.....

Tonight I am going to sell you some ideas for shopping with a difference. In fact, I am going to tell you to shop… shop with your head, shop with your heart and shop with your wallet and you can make a difference…. That is to say YOU and YOU and YOU can make a difference….For the environment and for the world.

A recent survey stated that most Kiwis want to shop, recycle and plant their way through the climate change problem. So here are some tips on different approaches to shopping for the planet.

Buy New Zealand made, especially food which makes up a large portion of our weekly expenditure. Instead of this pasta, made in Italy, buy this flour milled in Ashburton available by internet order and make your own pasta. It tastes great and reduces the carbon miles generated by products having to be transported from the other side of the world. It also supports our local economy, providing jobs which flows on to stronger local communities.

Buy organic.Areas of opportunity for organic farming include improved consumer health and producer health, sustainability, organic food branding, regional employment, recognition of consumer demand and economic benefits. Support the growth of the domestic organic sector by being one of those consumers demanding organic products.

Shop at Trade Aid and support an income generating venture in a developing country or take out a Child Sponsorship and welcome another child into your home. Buy a family in Africa a goat or a well! Support a charity. Change to Fair Trade tea or coffee and support local organic ventures where the farmer receives a fair price for their labour instead of being exploited by a multi-national company.

If the world were a village and there were a 100 people in the village only 1 would own their own home. In New Zealand we are among the world’s richest people. So let’s shop with our hearts and share our wealth with those less fortunate.

Shop to reduce carbon emissions by choosing energy efficient appliances such as ecobulbs or a 5 star fridge or dishwasher. An ecobulb, though more cosly initially, will save you money on energy usage over the term of their life.

In a recent Eco-bulb campaign at Shell service stations over 800,000 eco-bulbs were sold. This equates to over $100 million of energy savings and could reduce the carbon dioxide equivalent of taking more than 65,000 cars off the road.

Buy services instead of products. For example, instead of buying a toilet bag for someone give them a voucher for a professional massage. Goods often come from overseas and have a high carbon footprint, whereas a service is provided by a person locally which incurs a lower carbon footprint and provides employment in the local economy.

Buy it back. Instead of this (hold up white notepaper) buy this ( hold up recycled paper) Buying recycled goods help close the loop. Resources flow from virgin materials to goods to recycling to recycled goods and back into the market. This uses resources efficiently and keeps stuff out of the landfill.

Find a bargain. Check out the 2nd hand shops or auction center. Scrounge around at the Silver Shed or the Crow’s Nest. Go garage saling. Shop at Save Mart. ..and don't miss the church fair. It really is lots of fun finding that bargain.

So, you can shop to your hearts content….or shop with your heart..shop with your head and let your money do the talking… for the good of the environment and for community wellbeing, both local and international. I believe in putting my money where my mouth is….shop green and save the world...oh, and remember.....take your shopping bag with you.