This choice continues to be a personal one to identify what use the product holds and how much personal need there is for it. The question of need also includes a decision to determine the amount of the product to be purchased. For example, this decision involves such things as identifying the probable use of household paint when it is purchased in advance, the opportunity there is to obtain the paint within a reasonable time frame for use, and the likelihood that some or much of the paint will be discarded rather than used because it will dry. Stopping to determine the personal level of need for a product is a conscious decision and marks the prelude to understanding the impacts of the purchase from an environmental perspective. Once a person decides just how much of the product is needed and what potential there is for using it completely, the next choice centers on the packaging.
Packaging serves an important function.
For example, in the United States there is less than a three percent loss of food prior to purchase. This low rate is due largely to efficient packaging and transportation systems. Reduction in packaging could result in product loss and increased costs. Some products appear to have excessive packaging and, in most cases, some or much of that packaging can be redesigned to minimize the amount of resulting waste. In other cases, the cost will increase because of additional labor costs, product loss and alterations in design.