Buying local makes sense on so many levels

On quality, safety, environmental and economic factors buying local, Australian made, products is just common sense.

Ok; so it’s not practical to make everything locally, the Swiss have watchmaking sewn up, but here at greengrub Wooden Toys we aim to support as many local companies and products as possible.

Generally Australia has some of the world’s best quality and safety standards so products made locally are usually of a very high standard. Quality long lasting products also help the natural environment by reducing the consumption of non-renewable resources used in continually replacing products which break or have short lifespans. Don’t forget even the process of recycling uses resources.

Other less obvious environmental benefits also come from buying local. Buying products close to where they are made limits transportation impacts. For example; shipping from the Chinese Port of Shenzhen a relatively close neighbour takes 20 days, covers approximately 8,710 klms (4702 nm’s*) and consumes approximately 5,000** tonnes of diesel fuel to reach Brisbane. That’s a lot of time, cost and resources. Shipping from Europe or the USA is approximately three times these figures.

Therefore; economically, when all the costs (both tangible and intangible) are accounted for buying locally is by far the best value for money. Not to mention the wider community benefits of increased employment, retention and training of specialist expertise and research/ design industries.

Notwithstanding all of the above, Australian business’s and Australian made products must step up to the plate and genuinely compete for business. Being lovers of bamboo, timber and wood we spotted a great example on last Sundays ABC Landline, a story called Cutting Edge. It featured the Lucas Mill, a mobile sawmill, made in Victoria and exported to the world. You can watch/read the program here.

Join us in finding those hidden Aussie gems in the immense landscape of imports and support them by buying locally made.

We invite you to checkout our own brand of Handmade Wooden Toys, Made by Us right here in Australia and available from our online Educational Wooden Toy and Jigsaw Puzzle Shop by clicking HERE.

*http://www.sea-distances.org/ **https://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch8en/conc8en/fuel_consumption_containerships.html