There is no overall rating system for products to show what they are made of, how they are manufactured, whether they improve the environment by being a substitute for less green products and how they can be recycled. There are so many factors and different types of consumer goods that it might not be practical to develop such a system. One program being used by BuyGreen.com, an online store that publishes their BuyGreen Standards. They look at the overall lifecycle of a product from cradle to grave.

The four elements they research is

1) Source Material: What is the product made from?

2) Manufacturing: How is it manufactured?

3)Usage, How is it used and how it effects the environment?

Finally, 4) Disposal: How is it disposed of with what environmental impact? This information is translated into a number between 1 & 100. The higher the score, the better the product's positive impact on your life, and on the environment.

Online shopping can offer other benefits to your environment, including energy saved by not driving around looking for that special gift. You will also enjoy less time stuck in traffic. By shopping from home you can look at more sources and take the time to learn about the company you are buying from. Do they have their own version of product standards? Do they employ fair trade practices and support local artisans and manufacturers?

Shopping online means your purchases have to be shipped to you via the post office, UPS or another shipping company. If possible, ask that multiple items bought at the same online outlet be shipped together to cut down on shipping containers. Some companies use recyclable materials. If the store is close to you, ask them to hold your item until you can come and pick it up. If the item has to be shipped across country (or from another country), consider your carbon impact on the environment. Look closer to home for your goods, or consider buying carbon credits to offset the emissions of long distance shipping.

It can be tempting to print all of your receipts when you shop online, but try to reduce your paper use by saving your receipts electronically. If the shopping cart you're purchasing from does not give you this option, copy/paste your confirmation page into a new text file on your computer (using a program like Microsoft Word or Notepad). Write down your confirmation numbers, order prices, and the website names/URLs on a single piece of paper for future reference. Most online stores allow you to create an account on their website, so you can log in later and acquire all the information regarding your purchases.

When buying online remember to do your research and deal with companies that reflect your standards. You can have an enjoyable green shopping experience and impact the environment from home.