[Khanhanhan]

I would love to see a website where I could just enter two alternatives and get the greener one. I find it hard to make any decision these days. Should I buy tomatoes in a can a paper+plastic container? Fish sauce from Thailand in a glass or plastic bottle? Should I buy a small item in a nearby shop or drive somewhere a buy bigger packs. Someone should solve it for me.

[cmiller1]

This is a hard problem though, there are so many variables. For example, maybe the one that is more eco-friendly to produce is less durable and in the example of flooring which one is more green could depend on how many people a day you have walking on it and what they weigh.

[jopsen]

Also economies of scale have an impact too. An expensive eco-friendly product might be produced in smaller numbers causing more waste through the supply chain.

This is all speculation -- but products made a scale are often made with high efficiency.

What surely works is when we ask big corporations to do the right thing. Or if we managed to tax environmental impact.

[benj111]

Wouldn't you then get stuck in a local maxima?

Your tomato example probably depends on the time of year, your location, the farm. And even then how are you storing it? Fridge? Cupboard? So probably not generally answerable.

I know Tesco (a uk supermarket) started labelling with embodied CO2, but gave up.

I do agree with you though. Even some marketing regs, so when someone claims something is greener, it actually is.

[jopsen]

1) buy as little as possible - buy used if possible.

2) buy as cheap as possible.

3) invest your money in green initiatives.

That way I don't think you'll go all wrong.