Everything you buy carries emissions from the materials, factories and shipping behind it. You can’t see them at the till, but they add up across clothes, electronics, furniture and hobbies. The rule that cuts most of them is simple: buy less new, and make what you have last.

This page is part of our guide to reducing your carbon footprint, in the carbon footprint section. The carbon footprint calculator estimates your shopping emissions from what you spend each month.

How much do your purchases emit?

The UK government estimates the full supply-chain emissions of household spending, per pound spent. Its 2023 multipliers, at 2023 prices including VAT, includeSource 1:

Scrolls sideways to show every column.

Supply-chain emissions per pound spent, UK 2023, as of October 2026
What you buyEmissions (kg CO₂e per £)
Sport, camping and outdoor equipment2.79
Phones1.83
Pets and related products1.79
TV, audio and video equipment1.72
Major household appliances1.66
Computers and IT equipment1.54
Games, toys and hobbies1.04
Restaurants and cafes0.68
Personal care products0.50
Accommodation (hotels)0.41
Books0.41
Furniture and furnishings0.38
Clothing0.35
Shoes and footwear0.34

As of Oct 2026 · Source: [1] Defra spend-based emissions multipliers, 2023

These are UK averages per pound, so a cheap item and an expensive item in the same category get the same rate per pound. They are a fair guide to where the emissions are, not a measure of a specific productSource 1.

Keep things longer

The spend-based figures count the emissions of making and supplying a product, which are released before you own it. That makes using each item for longer one of the most useful things you can do. As an example with the figures above, a £500 phone comes to about 0.9 tonnes of CO₂eSource 1. Kept for four years instead of two, its share per year halves.

The IPCC lists sustainable consumption through the intensive use of longer-lived, repairable products among the low-carbon options people can adoptSource 3.

  • Repair before you replace. Fix phones, laptops, appliances and clothes when you can.
  • Buy for durability. Choose products with spare parts, long warranties and software support.
  • Replace when it fails, not when a new model comes out.
  • Look after things: follow care labels, service bikes and appliances, and store kit properly so it lasts.

Buy less, share more

A 2020 review of 53 studies found that sharing and using services instead of owning goods, such as local and community services, sharing and repair, had a median saving of around 0.3 tonnes of CO₂e per person a yearSource 2.

  1. Step 1: Pause before buying

    Ask whether you need it, or whether you could borrow, rent or share it instead.

  2. Step 2: Look second-hand first

    Pre-owned furniture, electronics, sports kit and clothes use things that already exist.

  3. Step 3: Choose quality over quantity

    One well-made item that lasts beats several cheap ones that wear out.

  4. Step 4: Pass things on

    Sell, donate or give away what you no longer use, so someone else doesn’t buy new.

Watch the rebound

Saving money is good, but what you do with it matters. The review warns that sharing strategies do not always cut footprints, because the extra income can be spent on other consumptionSource 2. If the money you save on a second-hand sofa pays for an extra flight, the climate is worse off. Spending on low-carbon services, or saving it, keeps the gain.

Electronics are the big-ticket items

Phones, computers, TVs and appliances are among the highest emissions per pound in the UK figuresSource 1. Keeping devices longer is one of the simplest cuts; see digital for more.

Furniture, appliances and big purchases

Big items are bought rarely, so each decision counts. Defra’s multipliers put major household appliances at about 1.66 kg CO₂e per pound spent and furniture at about 0.38 kgSource 1.

  • Appliances also use energy once you own them. Choose an efficient model, sized for what you need, and keep it running with servicing and repairs.
  • Furniture lasts decades if it is well made. Second-hand pieces avoid new manufacturing altogether.
  • Hobby and sports kit had the highest rate per pound in the figures, about 2.79 kgSource 1. Borrowing, renting or buying used kit for a new hobby makes sense until you know you’ll stick with it.

Gifts and occasions

Birthdays, holidays and celebrations bring a burst of buying, much of it chosen in a hurry. Experiences, consumables people will use, second-hand finds and shared gifts all avoid adding to the pile of things that go unused.

Clothes and footwear

Clothes and shoes have some of the lowest emissions per pound in the UK figures, at about 0.35 and 0.34 kg CO₂eSource 1. Because they are bought often and in volume, they still add up. Buy fewer, wear them longer, wash at lower temperatures, and repair or pass on what you don’t need.

Status and wellbeing

The IPCC notes that addressing status consumption and focusing on wellbeing supports climate mitigationSource 3. In plain terms, buying less to keep up with others is good for the climate and often for your budget.

Next steps

Shopping is one part of your footprint, alongside food, home energy and travel. When you have cut what you can, reduce vs offset explains where carbon credits fit for the rest.