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A practical guide for UK online sellers to compare local and distant suppliers, understand sourcing trade-offs and make clear, evidence-based product claims.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
“Locally sourced” can sound like a simple sustainability answer. A product made nearby may travel a shorter final distance, and buying from a nearby supplier can support local relationships. But the word local does not tell you everything about a product’s materials, production, packaging, delivery or lifespan.
For an online seller, the useful question is not whether local sourcing is always better. It is what you know about a particular product and supply route, what the trade-offs are, and how to explain them without making a wider claim than your evidence supports.
There is no single useful distance that defines “local” for every business. A seller might mean made in the same town, supplied within the region, or purchased from a UK-based wholesaler. These descriptions refer to different things. A product can be designed in one place, made somewhere else, packed by another business and shipped from a local warehouse.
Write down what you mean before using the term. Does it describe where the item was manufactured, where a key material came from, where it was finished, or simply the location of your supplier? If your supplier is nearby but the product is imported, say so clearly.
A transparent product description might say, “Designed and assembled in Bristol using components sourced from several suppliers. We are still checking the origin of the metal fittings.” This gives customers useful context and makes the limit visible. It is more precise than calling the whole product “100% local”.
Transport distance is only one part of a product’s supply chain. The materials, energy and methods used to make it, how long it lasts, how it is packaged, and whether it needs replacing can all matter. A short trip does not prove that the full product has a lower environmental impact.
For example, imagine a small homeware shop comparing two planters. One is made by a nearby supplier using a material whose origin and production details are not yet clear. The other comes from farther away, but the seller has detailed product specifications and can confirm that the supplier uses a long-lasting design. Distance alone does not answer which is the better choice. The shop should gather relevant information and describe what remains uncertain.
Delivery patterns matter too. A local supplier may deliver one small order in a separate van journey, while an overseas shipment could arrive as part of consolidated freight. Without good data and a suitable method, it is easy to make an inaccurate comparison. Avoid turning a map distance into a carbon claim.
Local sourcing can still be valuable. It may help you build a direct relationship with a maker, visit a workshop, ask questions quickly, order smaller quantities or learn how a product is made. It can also keep more spending in your area and support local livelihoods. Those social and business benefits are worth describing on their own terms.
Consider a gift shop that works with a nearby ceramicist. The owner can confirm the maker’s location, photograph the workshop with permission and explain the maker’s process. The shop may choose to stock the range because the collaboration is distinctive, lead times are easier to discuss and the relationship supports a local business. Unless it has suitable comparative evidence, the shop should not claim that the ceramics have a lower total carbon footprint simply because the maker is nearby.
Shorter supplier relationships can also make some information easier to request. You may be able to discuss batch sizes, material specifications, repairs or packaging directly. But proximity does not guarantee good environmental performance, fair working conditions or verified claims. Check the relevant facts rather than assuming them.
A small retailer does not need to conduct a full life-cycle assessment before every purchase. It can begin with a consistent set of questions that fits the product and decision. Keep the answers with your purchasing records so you know when they were checked and what evidence you relied on.
Use the same questions for both nearby and distant suppliers. If one supplier has an answer and another does not, record that difference. Missing information is a reason to ask or investigate further, not proof that the product is necessarily worse.
Online sellers should look beyond the supplier-to-shop journey. Think about inbound delivery, storage, packing, customer delivery, returns, repairs and what happens when a product is no longer wanted. The right boundary depends on your question, but naming it stops a partial view from sounding complete.
Suppose a local supplier can replenish a product in small batches. That may help a shop avoid holding as much stock, but each delivery still has a route and a cost. Compare order frequency, batch size, packaging and stock records together. Do not assume smaller or more frequent deliveries are automatically better.
Customer delivery choices need a separate review. A customer may live far from your shop, and several parcels to the same area may travel differently from one parcel to another. Explain delivery options accurately and do not suggest that “local” removes the impact of shipping an order to the buyer.
Keep supplier conversations specific and manageable. Ask questions connected to the product you plan to list, rather than sending an abstract sustainability questionnaire that is hard to answer.
Save the reply and date it. If an answer is vague, ask what exactly it covers. A supplier statement may be useful evidence for your records, but it is not automatically independent verification.
Tell readers which part of the product or supply chain is local. Use ordinary words and precise locations when you have permission and the details are accurate. Separate a community benefit from an environmental benefit, since they are not the same claim.
For example: “We buy this range directly from a workshop in Leeds. The maker assembles the products there. Some components come from other suppliers, and we are still confirming their origin.” That statement gives customers context without implying every input is local or that the product has a measured lower footprint.
Broad words such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable” can imply a wide benefit. Do not use them as a shortcut for a sourcing location. The Competition and Markets Authority advises that environmental claims should be clear, accurate and supported by evidence. Read its guidance on environmental claims before making a comparative claim.
Use this short review before adding a locally supplied product to your catalogue or changing suppliers:
This process is deliberately modest. It helps you make a more informed buying decision and improve your records without suggesting that a short checklist can measure a product’s entire impact.
You can value a local partnership for reasons that are not environmental. Supporting a nearby maker, building a resilient relationship, sharing skills or serving customers with distinctive products may be meaningful business and community outcomes. State what you do and who benefits, and avoid converting those outcomes into an emissions claim without evidence.
Make Local for Global’s article on supporting local communities looks at the community dimension. For a broader product decision process, use our sustainable ecommerce checklist and guide to selling sustainable products online.
Not automatically. Manufacturing location is one piece of information. Materials, production, durability, packaging, transport and other stages may also be relevant. Use product-specific evidence before making a wider comparison.
Be specific about what is made or assembled locally and which materials or components come from elsewhere. Avoid wording that could make customers think the whole product or supply chain is local when it is not.
No blanket conclusion can be made from distance alone. The transport mode, load, route, delivery frequency and other parts of the supply chain matter. If you do not have suitable data, describe the distance or relationship accurately without claiming a measured reduction.
For more help, browse the Sustainability resource hub, learn how to make a practical sustainability plan, or see what an ecommerce business can measure about its environmental impact.
Make Local for Global helps small businesses improve ecommerce websites, product pages and the customer journey.
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