February 12, 2008

How to Practice Product Stewardship

One aspect that should be considered when shopping responsibly for really natural products is product stewardship. Product stewardship involves looking at the lifecycle of a product, from manufacturing to disposal. The Environmental News Network offers eight tips for practicing product stewardship:

Stay Informed-find out what companies are doing to reduce their carbon footprints and reduce their use of harmful chemicals.
Spend Some Dough-sustainably produced products cost more money.
Locate Your Products-shop locally, such as at a farmers' market, to avoid buying goods that have been transported thousands of miles.
Check the ingredients-read the labels! Remember, natural and organic are marketing terms without clear definitions on the US, especially for beauty products.
Reduce Your Packaging-Look for products with less packaging and use canvas shopping bags at every store you shop, not just the grocery store.
Recycle
Take Advantage of Take Backs-Many companies offer to dispose of old products for you, especially electronics.
Close the Loop-purchase product with high percentages of post-consumer recycled content.