HOW TO SHOP SUSTAINABLY

• BUY SECOND-HAND

Beverly and the North Shore have many consignment and thrift store locations.

Online consigners, seasonal pop-up consignment, auctions, and yard sales are good alternatives to buying new, and yield unique finds with a value commodity goods can’t replicate.

You can also join swap meets or online donation/gift/vintage groups. Many are run through Facebook’s “Groups” feature and are easy to search for using keywords like “vintage” or “buy and sell”.

See additional resources in CLOTHES and OTHER ITEMS.

• BUY LOCAL

Just because a product is offered for sale at a local business doesn’t automatically make it the most eco-friendly version of that product you can buy. However, if a shop sources their products locally, buys in bulk from a distance (vs. ordering one item at a time online), adopts sustainable business practices (powered by solar, use compostable take-out containers, etc.), or sells sustainably-produced products, any product you buy from them is likely to have a lower carbon cost than what you could buy elsewhere.

Many businesses in Beverly do one or more of the above. Here are just a few examples:

• CHOOSE ECO-FRIENDLY ITEMS

Where a product is produced, what materials it’s made from, how it’s packaged, and how it gets to the shelf are all factors in assessing how eco-friendly it is. The more information like this you can learn about a product, the easier it will be for you to assess its degree of sustainability. Find out more in CLOTHES, FOOD, and OTHER ITEMS.

• GIFT EXPERIENCES RATHER THAN THINGS

  Gift certificates to local restaurants and service businesses support your local economy and is a much more sustainable choice than gifting a material product. Surprise someone with fitness lessons or personal training, beauty or salon services, massage, sports lessons, catering so their next event can be low-stress, or meals at their favorite (or soon-to-be-favorite) local restaurants.

• POWER OF YOUR PURCHASES

All retailers are influenced by the desires of their customers. Let them know that you want more eco-friendly options and practices. For them to make this shift will take time and possible financial investment, so knowing the shift will increase customer satisfaction and may draw additional business is a big incentive.

additional shopping actions