Thoughts on shopping sustainably and price!...
After my newest sustainable purchase arrived via the postman, I thought I’d share a thought on shopping sustainably and price!
Making better choices for the planet definitely should not cost you an arm and a leg, but there is sometimes a saving to made by spending a bit more on an item, for example, the new water bottles that arrived for the husband and kids, but not myself! (I only point out that I didn’t buy one because I personally still have to fight the urge to buy myself a new shiny item just because – consumerism! The first rule of sustainability is to use what you have; I have both a small (500ml) glass bottle and a large (1L) plastic bottle I don’t need another one just because the husband is getting one, and they’re pretty!)
When looking through brands the deciding factor ended up being price as usual for me, in this case, the shop that was having a large sale (more than 50% off!). It still cost more than the cheap plastic drinking bottle that first appears when internet shopping for kids, but in the long term it will outlast the prior 3 that I’ve brought and the extra cost will be covered by the longevity of the item (I expect the children to outgrow the decoration of the bottle rather than it wearing out).
The bottles are made from double-walled stainless steel so they are sturdier than the standard plastic. They keep cold drinks cold without condensation, and hot drinks hot for 24 and 12 hours respectively (the husband is most likely to use the hot option over the kids). They won’t break when dropped like glass (though might dent, obviously). They won’t crush or split if stepped on in a school or work bag. They do everything that a standard plastic drinks bottle does but they also have many features that the plastic (or glass) item does not and they are multi-purpose and can be used as a drinks bottle or thermos.
It helps when spending more on a purchase to remember that items designed to last, more often than not, are also designed with replacements parts available and come with a guarantee to justify the extra money. Should a lid go missing (2 of the 3 bottles are for children after all) or break through misuse it will cost me from £2-£2.50 to replace, and they come with a 4-year guarantee for manufacturing defects (leaking lids etc.) so if they don’t stand up to the test of time I can get a replacement.
When on a budget, especially now, it’s easy to turn to cheap mass-produced unsustainable products that are designed with use, break, replace as their main function to keep consumers in a cycle of continued spending that overtime costs both you and the planet more than it should and the only ones who win are the people high up in the large corporations. The best sustainable purchases come when you also shop small, supporting someone else’s dream and spreading the wealth.
