In my every day life, I am on an ongoing journey to figure out different ways to reduce my carbon footprint on the planet. A carbon footprint can be understood as: the measure of impact our activities have on the environment, in particular climate change. This carbon footprint is calculated by the amount of greenhouse gas we produce in our daily lives.1 Most of these gases are released from the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, manufacturing, transportation, etc. Fortunately, nowadays it is much easier to make eco-friendly lifestyle choices than, let’s say, 20 years ago. Whether it is the car you drive, the oven you use, the clothes you wear, or even the everyday products you buy, there is a green alternative. I have made many changes in my life for the environment, but one question that still lingers: is it better to buy new eco-friendly products or used traditionally produced goods?
This question has been on my mind a lot lately, mostly due to some recent changes in my life. I moved into a new apartment and I bought a new car. Both events presented opportunities that allowed me to make choices based on preserving the environment. For my apartment I asked myself, “Should I buy new dishes or other furnishings for my place or find some used ones? Should I invest in new energy-efficient appliances?” and for my car I wondered, “Is it more eco-friendly to buy a new, energy efficient model or a used one to avoid the added manufacturing?”
After doing some research, I have decided that the answer can be both—some things are better new and others are better used. When it comes to products that do not require or produce energy, I believe it is better to find them used. But if they do require or produce energy and you are in the market for new goods, I think it is better to go for the new energy, efficient option. The main concern here is the amount of energy that goes into the manufacturing of new products and whether or not that excess carbon is worth the footprint the product will make once it gets to you. Confusing? Yes. Worth the thought process? Yes again. To make it a bit less confusing, I included a more extended explanation of a typical carbon footprint in the developed world provided by the website, http://www.carbonfootprint.com/:
A carbon footprint is made up of the sum of two parts, the primary footprint (shown by the green slices of the pie chart) and the secondary footprint (shown as the yellow slices).
1. The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels, including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane). We have direct control over these.
2. The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use—those associated with their manufacture and eventual breakdown. To put it very simply: the more we buy the more emissions will be caused on our behalf.2
Based on this understanding, we have a good deal of control and responsibility over our carbon footprint. First, I had to think about what I actually needed: a new car, kitchenware and appliances, furniture, or any other household accessories? I realized that I needed a little bit of all of the above, although I tried to minimize anything that seemed the slightest bit unnecessary. Most of the items fall under the “secondary footprint” category and account for over half of my carbon footprint, so I decided that less is more in this particular situation. In this case, as well, I focused on finding used goods. Furniture, kitchenware, and other accessories made sense to find used because excess emissions are released to manufacture the new ones. However, for the car and the other appliances that I needed I went with new, energy-efficient models. My new car has a significantly higher MPG, the washer/dryer is EnergyStar certified, and the water heater is even more efficient. I believe, in this case, that the environmental pay-off of each item over its lifetime is worth the footprint of its manufacturing. An article on the news a couple years back noted, “According to a VW-sponsored report, manufacturing accounts for 27-30% of a car’s total CO2 footprint. Substantial, yes, but it means the bulk of the carbon was emitted after the car was delivered to its first owner.”3 I also heard somewhere that electronics and appliances give off 90% of their carbon footprint after they leave the factory and their most inefficient years are after 10 years of use. So I went with my first instinct, and thought it seemed most reasonable to go for the energy-efficient models. I feel pretty good about the choices I made.
I often wonder, however, if buying new products is ever really worth it. If the demand is there, then it makes sense to figure out the most environmentally friendly way to supply it. But isn’t the demand really the problem? How long could we sustain ourselves on used goods? Would the old ones really cause more of a pollution problem than the manufacturing of new goods? I’d like to find out.
