What does it mean to be ethical consumer?
One of the main reasons I started this blog was because I felt very existential during quarantine. Buying things like toilet paper seemed so unimportant and yet simultaneously the main event of the week. I needed to do something...everyone loves the lists on The Strategist right? So why don't I write a green lifestyle blog about what my favorite products and brands are, and why.
Thanks to the internet, we no longer have to be passively buy whatever is advertised to us on TV, Instagram or in store. We can be educated consumers and easily research brands, materials, missions, and ingredients and make informed purchases.
As consumers - and yes if you're reading this you are by definition a consumer! - we actually have a LOT of power. If we all suddenly stopped buying from Amazon, they could shut down. We can make a difference where we spend our money. Again it might sound trivial, but choosing to buy locally does make an impact. This concept is called ethical consumerism :
a type of consumer activism based on the concept of dollar voting.[1] It is practiced through the buying of ethically-made products that support small scale manufacturers and local artisans, protect animals and the environment, and boycott products that exploit children as workers, are tested on animals, or damage the environment.[2]
Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical_consumerism
Hopefully you're like me and feel sad after reading that since it means those that shop ethically must be in the minority. But turn that sadness into action!
- Rather than buying what is offered to you, ask for the things that you want. Tell your local store about a brand or item that you would like to see on their shelves. They're in business to sell you the things you want to buy.
- Keep following my blog as I will soon start to post lists of my favorite brands and products. Until then, check out my resources page.
- And if you still want to shop from big stores, it is possible. Some big companies are starting to care: they're selling more green brands. Like Walmart sells Kristen Bell's green line of baby products called Hello Bello. And if big companies make moves, others will follow. For example, Gap's brand Athleta is now certified as a B Corporation (more on what that means in a future post) which I hope will encourage other big corporations to follow suit.
But sometimes you can't always make the most ethical decision. I'll talk about how to navigate that, in my next post.
xx
Hannah