At a time when most people are thinking about consumption, prices and discounts, there are ways to reduce the environmental footprint.
Last week of November, here is the famous “black friday”, a phase of incredible discount announcements – and which actually started a long time ago in several places.
At a time when most people think about consumption, prices, discounts, there are ways to reduce environmental footprint. In other words, a break from the “buy now, think later” attitude.
The environment also has consequences of this phase: more production, more packaging, more transport, more returns.
In a statement sent to ZAP, DPD Portugal provides four practical tips to make each purchase more environmentally friendly.
Long-lasting and repairable products
Buy as much as possible at the lowest price, or take the opportunity to invest in better quality? Perhaps the second hypothesis is more correct. Buy longer-lasting products, easier to repair and with good warranty conditions – less need for frequent replacement, less waste.
Delivery locations
When buying online, do you really need to go home? You can pick up your order at nearby stores or lockers: they consolidate deliveries in a single location, avoiding multiple trips and contributing to more efficient distribution.
Packaging
Very large boxes, packaging plastics and materials that are difficult to recycle. After the product is delivered, you should see what can be reused or recycled, and whether it has the right destination (in addition to separating plastic or paper and cardboard, saving boxes in good condition for future shipments or storage can be a good idea).
Think beyond the purchase
Finally, think about returns, second-hand and circular economy. Each return involves new transport, more packaging, or products that can no longer be sold as new. Will it be necessary to buy a new device when the current one can be easily repaired? If you get rid of a product, you can sell it or donate it – circular economy.
