Wild Asia - Green Shopping

Green Shopping

by Wild Asia

Malaysia is one of the major shopping hubs in the Southeast Asian region alongside Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Our tourism board aspires to make Kuala Lumpur as a "one-stop shopping destination", so it comes to no surprise when shopping malls pop up like mushrooms. But excessive shopping can hurt more than just your pockets.

Adopting a greener lifestyle means adopting a greener shopping habit too. Not only do we need to think if our purchases are necessary before buying them, or if we can purchase more eco-friendly products; we need also to think about the packaging of the products, and the rampant use of plastics bags to bag our purchases!

There have been many campaigns advocating the stop on using plastic bags. Major retailers have also started offering alternative bagging options to shoppers. Major grocery outlets too, are offering a greener alternative by producing their own reusable bags made from fabric (e.g. cotton, bamboo) and synthetic materials like polyester, which customers can purchase and reuse every time they shop. If dirty, a quick rinse in warm water or with a bit of soap should do the trick! These reusable bags are shifting from the conventional plain canvass bags to include creative and fashionable designs.

Yet, the majority is still very much attached to using plastic bags. Plastic bags are light, cheap, hassle-free, and can be easily discarded when dirty. Best of all, they are given free!

So, why the fuss on plastics?

Say No to Plastic Bags- A cliché?

Plastics are a potent enemy to nature. Plastic bags, made from a type of plastic known as polyethylene, contain a myriad of harmful chemicals, and they take years to degrade. Because of their long life cycle, most plastic bags end up as waste; littering our streets, clogging our drains and rivers, and choking our marine life when they mistakenly consume plastics as food.

The base material from which plastics are made out of come from fossil fuels. Each plastic is different from another depending on the type of polymer used.

The "resin identification code" was created to assist recycling centres in sorting out the many types of plastic. There are 7 categories, but the most common is PET (polyethylene terephthalate) categorized at 1, commonly use for mineral and soda bottles and is highly accepted by recycling centres.

By saying no to plastic bags, we help by reducing waste and avoiding excessive plastic to contaminate our oceans and rivers. By understanding the numerical categories, we can make a difference by adopting recycling habits and by using less plastic anyway we can, we are contributing to a greener and cleaner future.

Friendlier Products

Most of the household products from cleaning detergents to food found in supermarkets are chemical-laden and have the potential to hurt the environment and our health. Out of hundreds of products, how do we know what is safe and has the least impact on our environment?

From organic choices to greener household, eco-friendly products usually display eco-labels; certification or system from production to distribution that are regulated by certain bodies, to differentiate their products from others. But consumers also need to be aware of 'greenwashing', a practice that certain companies use environmentally-friendly terms as a marketing scheme when in fact they are not. By providing tips and information, we believe that consumers can make the right informed choices when out shopping.

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Original URL: http://www.wildasia.org/main.cfm/library/Green_shopping

Published: 25 May 2009