27 Nov 09 Shop Online And Be Green

It's probably fair to say that most of us are more environmentally aware these days. It seems improbable that we are about to turn into a nation of eco-warriors overnight, but the majority of people are quite happy to make a little effort to be greener. It is actually a whole bunch of small changes by a large number of people that tends to make the difference. The good news is that you can be more environmentally friendly whilst saving both time and money.

For example, a recent study carried out by Carnegie Melon University clearly showed that online shopping has a lower environmental impact than the traditional method of buying from retail outlets. One example used in the study was the purchase of a flash memory stick, and it was found the environmental impact of the traditional retail method was 35% greater than making an identical purchase using the internet.

A parallel study - carried out by CleanTech - found that the carbon footprint of a standard printed book was 7.5 kg of CO2 over its useful lifespan. However, this figure was increased by a factor of two if the customer got into their car, drove to the store, purchased their book and then drove home again instead of having it delivered in the mail.

Roughly 65% of the emissions produced by traditional shopping methods come about as a direct result of the customer's transportation to and from the store.

Shopping online is not just a better option for the environment - it will save you time and many times you will find what you're looking for at a lower price. You can increase the environmental benefits even further just by selecting the right type of product.

If you opt to buy electronic books as opposed to the conventional printed type, you will save on paper, ink and the energy required for the printing and binding process. In general, e-books are available at a lower price than the printed versions - and you will save on gas as well. You can even subscribe to get magazines and newspapers delivered to e-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle reader every day.

Likewise, if you opt to download music to your PC or mp3 player, you will save on CDs, packaging and distribution emissions. Downloading movies, which you can now do from Amazon, iTunes and a host of other sites also has both financial and environmental benefits.

So when it comes to buying on the web, why not consider a two pronged attack. Firstly, if you can avoid a trip to the store in your car by buying online then that will generally be a good option. Secondly, if you can substitute downloadable products for physical ones then not only will you be doing your bit for the environment - but you will save time and money into the bargain.

Learn more about the Kindle reader and discover how to save money by getting free Kindle books.

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