Avoiding unnecessary purchases

By assessing your need to buy a particular product or service you may decide that you don't need to make that purchase - and with that you may reduce your impact on the environment, save money and resources, and reduce waste and pollution.

Avoid unnecessary purchases. Before making a purchase, consider if you could cut down how much you buy, and analyse if that can bring you benefits. For example, consider if it is beneficial to:

• reuse an existing resource - for example, redistributing IT equipment within your business to those who require it
• use a service rather than buying a product - eg renting your office furniture, but making sure that the products you hire are sustainable
• buy longer lasting products, eg durable products that can be repaired and upgraded
• avoid disposable products, eg using china plates and mugs instead of paper or plastic, or for example using rechargeable batteries
• improve storage and stock control, to help reduce waste and to only buy what you need ('just in time' stock control)
• work with your suppliers to change their processes, reducing use of materials (eg by using less packaging for transporting goods) or choosing more sustainable resources (for example, alternative fuels for vehicles, or renewable energy during manufacturing)
• encourage staff to use products efficiently - for example, using energy efficient features will help reduce your energy use and carbon emissions
• buy more efficient products, eg equipment that can perform multiple tasks like copying, printing and faxing, or that use renewable power, (such as solar-powered monitoring equipment or external lighting)
• buy items that can be taken back by the supplier or reused or recycled. For example if you choose to use carpet tiles instead of sheet carpet, the remainder can be taken back, and you can also replace these individually if damaged
• buy products that have separable parts and can be repaired more easily.

Managing your purchasing

Once you have assessed whether you need to buy a product or service, you can start to consider how you can do this more sustainably.