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Buying green means purchasing products or services that will reduce environmental impacts or that are produced with minimal environmental impacts. It means focusing on reduced packaging, waste disposal, resource use, transportation, durability and many other issues.

The most important element of “green purchasing” is taking steps to avoid pollution and waste. Sometimes buying green means buying less. Sometimes it means choosing a less toxic cleaning product or non-toxic paint. Look for products made with energy ef.cient equipment and processes, recycled materials and non-toxic materials. Look for products that have a long useful life and that can be easily recycled or reused.

From design to disposal, product choices affect the environment, but there are no perfect production processes. Habitat is always destroyed when land is cleared for a farm, even an organic farm. Resources are always used in the manufacturing process. The key is to minimize environmental effects while maximizing benefits.

Staying current on environmental purchasing factors will allow you to make a personal impact. Check out the Chinook Book, which contains more than 250 coupons for environmentally responsible purchasing.