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Spend Green
Consumers have the power to make a positive impact on the environment every day. But living a green lifestyle is more than recycling and driving a fuel-efficient vehicle. "Green spending" is also a key part of the equation.
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
Environmentally preferable purchasing is one way that the City of Indianapolis ensures that environmental considerations are included in purchasing decisions, along with traditional factors such as product price and performance. Individuals and households can apply these principles to their own purchasing decisions by selecting goods and services that impose fewer burdens on the environment.
Recycled-content paper products, for example, are often priced competitively with virgin products. Some products with environmentally preferable attributes, such as remanufactured toner cartridges, are also cheaper than their counterparts.
Green Shopping
You can also spend green by "shopping green"—supporting local farmers markets and businesses that require less transportation and packaging, and as a result, leave less of an environmental footprint.
Buy reusable and long-lasting products, like rechargeable batteries, cloth napkins, and electric razors. Products that can be reused are cheaper in the long run than those you throw away and buy over and over again. Goods that are designed to last a long time are also cheaper in the long run than those that wear out quickly. According to the Web site Earth911.org, a family can save $1,000 each year buy buying reusable and long lasting products.
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