10 big changesGreen shopping and finance

Greener finance: ethical investments

Choose ethical or 'green' financial products

If you're interested in ethical finance, ask your bank to tell you about its investment policies. If you're not satisfied, switch your savings, mortgage or current account to a bank or building society that invests ethically.

Although most high street banks have ethical policies, few go beyond the basic legal requirements when it comes to generating revenue.

The Co-operative Bank, the Ecology Building Society, Triodos and the government’s not-for-profit Charity Bank all offer ‘ethical’ financial products. 

Before switching, always check how organisations achieve their ethical aims, and how interest rates and other specifications compare to your current deals.

The difference between ethical financial products can be vast, ranging from accounts that merely offer paperless statements to those which pay a percentage of what you spend on a credit card directly to eco-friendly causes.

Find out more about greener financial products on the Money Facts website.

Green trademarks

Green labels help you make ethical shopping choices

Green labels can help you spot products that are less harmful to the environment and make more ethical shopping choices.

Green or ethical industry trademarks indicate a product’s environmental or sustainable qualities or efforts to this effect during production. This could mean natural resources or habitats have been protected, or energy consumption has been minimised during use or production

Some timber or wood products carry the FSC logo - guaranteeing the wood comes from a sustainable source. 

Also look out for the Rugmark on rugs and carpets. This logo guarantees no illegal child labour has been used in their production.

Established trademark schemes also include the LEAF mark for food products, Soil Association for organic produce and the European Ecolabel for non-food items.

To help you recognise reputable green labels, Defra offers a free downloadable Shoppers' Guide leaflet explaining some of the most common. 

Greener eating to reduce carbon emissions

Buying locally-produced food is a greener shopping choice

The 100-mile diet challenges those passionate about changing to a greener lifestyle to only eat food produced within a 100 radius of their home.

Buying locally-produced food is a greener choice because it helps reduce carbon emissions caused by transporting food and its production; it’s also a great way to support your local economy.

According to 100milediet.org, the ingredients for a typical British meal, sourced locally, travel 66 times fewer ‘food miles’ than high street produce - that means fewer carbon emissions. Find local food suppliers in your area using the BigBarn website.

But if you can't do without everyday essentials from overseas, why not buy Fairtrade produce and help farmers in developing countries get a fairer deal?