We live in an age of information; increasingly, more people are aware of the impact that their consumer choices have on the world. How you choose to spend your money can have a significant impact on the planet and the people that inhabit it. The truth is that your spending habits might be harmful, but you can use your money to make a difference. It is all about spending your money thoughtfully. Read on for some tips.
Always Read the Fine Print
Many businesses make claims about their products or their business practices that are then clarified within the small print. Always look for an asterisk. You might think that you have made ethical choices, but the claims of the company have been wildly overstated. There are common ingredients both within products and packaging wise that can be considered harmful, so always check the ingredients and read the small print.
Educate Yourself
The best thing that you can do is to educate yourself. Look up common practices that contribute to climate change or pollution, or unsafe working conditions and what businesses subscribe to these practices so that you can avoid them. Once you have begun your ethical consumerism journey, you might be surprised by how much of an impact one person can have. There are lots of resources that you can use to educate yourself; if conserving the planet is something that you are passionate about, you can even find online courses about climate change to help you to learn more.
Shop Small
Big businesses are much more likely to have a larger carbon footprint. Shopping small is a lot more sustainable. Shopping from small businesses can be a little bit more expensive, but often the quality is better because the source material is of a higher quality. Big businesses and fast fashion brands tend to do everything possible to maximize profits; this means workers don’t receive a fair wage and the materials that they use are of lower quality; the goods themselves also tend to be shipped further. Buying locally also helps boost the local economy and put more money back into your community.
Be Mindful of Your Purchases
The most sustainable product is the one that you already own. Instead of trying to overhaul your spending habits by clearing out your home and stocking it with ethical and sustainable purchases, think about the uses that you have for the products already in your possession. Your products have more than one use, and once you are done with them, you should be mindful of how you dispose of them. Landfill should be the last choice; try to recycle everything you can.
Hold Yourself & the Brand to Account
Many brands don’t care about their ethics because they continue to turn a profit, and it seems as though their consumers don’t care. They know that unfair labour practices make consumers uncomfortable but not enough for them to boycott the business. You need to hold yourself to the same standard that you expect these businesses to adhere to. This means avoiding businesses that don’t align with your moral code.
In Conclusion
As a consumer, you have more power than you realise. You can influence a business to change its practices. It isn’t difficult to become an ethical consumer; you simply need to put more thought into purchases. Hold off on making impulse purchases, shop locally where possible and recycle or reuse if you can.
