Sustainable Shopping Suggestions

Tips for Being Sustainable in Online Shopping

1. Prefer Bulk Purchasing

Since the cost and environmental footprint increases with each order shipment, bulk purchasing is important to ensure efficiency. Therefore, we recommend that you shop in bulk according to your needs in order to minimize the environmental damage caused by the product you purchase. At the same time, the use of packaging in the cargo of your bulk purchases will be significantly reduced. Collecting your needs in the form of a shopping list can be a good start.

2. Avoid Express Delivery

Expedited shipments may lead to higher carbon emissions than standard shipments. So while fast shipping offered for free or at advantageous prices may be tempting, choosing standard shipping methods is an easy way to be environmentally friendly.

For example; “If this purchase is truly necessary, what is the urgency for it to arrive? Can we wait a little longer and buy it in bulk with other products? Evaluate your purchases with questions such as. You need to consider these questions to make your shopping more efficient and responsible.

3. Minimize Returns


4. Look for Eco-Friendly Brands

5. Reduce Packaging Usage

6. Add to Favorites and Wait

Tips for Being Sustainable in Store Shopping

1. Think Twice and Question Before Buying







2. Choose Local Brands

3. Redesign-Reuse







4. Donate or Sell Your Unused Clothes

5. Are Important Days Coming Up? Rent Instead of Buying

6. Support 'Conscious' Clothing

7. Wash Sustainably

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3. Minimize Returns

Did you know that 30% of products purchased online are returned? Retailers provide convenience to consumers regarding free returns, but this can significantly increase the environmental cost.

Especially in the ready-made clothing industry, 84% of all returns are thrown away or burned by some companies.


In order to minimize your returns, you can re-evaluate by reviewing the wish list you created. Since you cannot try the product, you cannot be sure whether it will fit you well or not. This is one of the disadvantages of online shopping. However, you can estimate the compatibility of the product by carefully checking useful information such as model size and measurements in the product details. If there is something you are not sure about, you can read the comments about the product in detail or send an e-mail to the brand.

4. Look for Eco-Friendly Brands

One way to guide your purchasing decisions is to purchase products with responsible and trustworthy labels. Reading labels makes your eco-friendly purchases easier. There are many certificates that transparently show that the products are produced in accordance with ethical values, are not tested on animals, and comply with waste reduction and energy saving criteria. You can review their websites to find out which companies are working on this subject.

5. Reduce Packaging Usage

You can research how your order is packaged and provide feedback to take action for brands.

If the order options include using less plastic packaging, you can reduce the packaging waste caused by your orders.

You can use your social media platforms to force brands to change in this regard and make the boxes more durable and more protective and environmentally friendly.

You can go to the store closest to the online ordering place and buy the product, and thus you will not use the shipping packaging. At the same time, you will prevent the carbon emissions emitted by the product during its cargo journey.

Taking your own bag/bag with you when you go shopping will also be an important habit in reducing materials.

6. Add to Favorites and Wait

While you are simplifying your wardrobe, why not apply this to your shopping cart?

Instead of frantically adding items to your cart, save these items as favorites and think about whether you really need the product. This way, you will not return that dress that looked nice online but looked completely different when you received it. Another benefit of waiting before buying is that you can reduce your environmental footprint by purchasing in bulk rather than ordering several smaller items that require separate packaging and shipping.

Remember, sustainable fashion starts in your wardrobe, so review what you have before buying new pieces. This way, you can avoid buying too many and unnecessary products.

Tips for Being Sustainable in Store Shopping

1. Think Twice and Question Before Buying

Evaluating your consumption habits is the first step to sustainable shopping. Before purchasing a product, ask yourself these questions:

-What materials is this product made of?
- Do I really need this?
- Will this item match what's in my closet? Do I have a similar item?
- Is it a comfortable or functional product?
-How many times can I use this product?

After your answers to these questions, it would be a better approach to shop with sustainable products as a priority.

2. Choose Local Brands

The best way to reduce your impact on the environment is to shop locally or at stores that employ local vendors. This way you won't have to travel too far for your products and you'll be supporting smaller businesses in your own country.

Shopping local is also a good way to know where your clothes are sourced. You will both strengthen your local community and create more jobs for individuals in your area. Additionally, shopping from local businesses is often enjoyable from a customer experience perspective.

While shopping, think about the path the product you purchased took until it reached that shelf. By purchasing products produced by local companies whenever possible, you will ensure less carbon emissions.

3. Redesign-Reuse

Knowing the amount of energy needed to produce an article of clothing and the toxic waste it produces can change our perspective on sustainable shopping. Repurposing your no longer worn clothes is a good way to reduce waste. Instead of throwing away your clothes, you can design many creative things with a 'DIY' project.

For example, from a few old, worn t-shirts;

- Pillowcase
- Blanket or quilt
- Cloth bag
- Dust cloth
- You can make a belt or shawl.

4. Donate or Sell Your Unused Clothes

Clothes you don't use or think you need anymore can make someone else happy. You can contact various NGOs working on this issue to deliver it to those in need, or you can leave it in textile waste bins.

You can also sell to second-hand online or physical stores. Second-hand stores can resell up to 75% of unwanted clothing items.

5. Are Important Days Coming Up? Rent Instead of Buying

Certain occasions or events require purchasing clothes that do not fit the daily lifestyle. Since these clothes are usually clothes that we can only wear once, renting clothes for special occasions would be a very good solution. There are many clothing rental companies that help eliminate waste, so be sure to research them.

6. Support 'Conscious' Clothing

The fashion industry causes increasing pollution. Clothing production has doubled since 2000, and 85% of textiles end up in landfills every year.

Did you know that it takes 20,000 liters of water to make 1 pair of jeans and 1 t-shirt? This amount is equivalent to enough water for one person for 13 years.

Synthetic fabrics have serious impacts on the environment, and they can also harm your skin. Polyester is a widely preferred fabric used in the fashion industry as an alternative to natural fabrics. Polyester is a derivative of plastic produced using excessive amounts of coal, oil and water. 60% of clothing waste consists of polyester fibre. For this reason, textile products thrown into the trash pose serious dangers to the environment. Instead, you can choose products made from organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, lyocell, linen or recycled plastic water bottles/fishing nets.

You can reduce the damage you cause to nature by choosing consciously produced clothes.

7. Wash Sustainably

For a more sustainable approach, choose energy-saving machines and wash in cold water. In addition, you can extend the lifespan of your clothes by using environmentally friendly detergents and drying them in the sun.