The connection between individual consumption and climate change is a strange one. On one hand, most people understand that when they buy products they have some kind of impact on the environment. On the other hand, the scope of their impact is often completely unknown. 

You may know that using plastic bags in the supermarket should be avoided. But did you know that you can influence the emissions already before that? What products you buy, from where they come and what time of year it is all play into how large that product’s CO2e emissions are. 

But why is it important to understand the environmental impact of your consumer choices?

Individual choices and actions can become social trends that actually make a difference. Widespread adoption of green consumer choices can reduce the EU’s total CO2e footprint by 25%. That means that by collectively taking better consumer choices, we can help take a massive step towards our climate goals.

But often there is a huge knowledge gap between what needs to be known and what is actually known. For example, did you know that across life cycle analyses, a product emits CO2e of about six times its own weight? We sure didn’t before we started mympact. To help you bridge that gap, here are four tips you can follow when making your next purchase.

1. Always try to buy high-quality and long lasting products
2. Consult how sustainable a product is before buying
3. Choose local and seasonal products
4. Choose products with limited packaging

But it’s not only about choosing the right alternatives, but also reducing your consumption in general. You can achieve this by adhering to the 3R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle.

After reading this article, you might justifiably be slightly overwhelmed and unsure how you should keep track of all these tips within your day-to-day. After all, we make countless consumer choices everyday, in completely different sectors and with completely different products. Having an overview seems like a dauntingly impossible task. 

Luckily it doesn’t have to be. By initially doing a bit of research you can quickly have an overview over a couple of the most important things you should consider. And, with the mympact app, understanding the impact of each purchase becomes easy. You can see each CO2e emission separately, giving you a clear understanding of your carbon emissions. And, with our sustainable alternatives, you find areas where you can quickly and simply adjust your consumer behavior to more sustainable alternatives.