A Beginners Guide to Ethical Consumerism

February 27, 2016

Ethical consumerism is fundamental to achieving sustainability. Being ethical consumer means buying products that are produced without causing harm to the environment and the society. Everything from buying organic products to boycotting goods produced by child labor can fall into ethical consumerism.

While the idea of combining ethics and consumerism has become a mainstream, businesses are facing growing criticism on the idea that consumers might make a difference by changing their buying habits.

How Ethical Consumerism Works

Ethical consumerism is the practice of buying products and services produced in a way that the process creates a minimum or no harmful impact on the society and the environment. Also, it entails avoiding goods and services deemed to have a negative social and environmental impact.

Most of us know that our buying behavior leaves a footprint no matter what we buy. Each purchase backs the activities making up the supply chain. These activities may involve production of GM products, unfair trade practices, human rights violations, and other harms to the societies and environment.

By choosing products that are organically produced, fair-trade compliant, energy-efficient, and recyclable, ethical consumers can greatly contribute to sustaining the integrity of the societies and the environment.

How to Be an Ethical Consumer

Ethical Food and Clothes

Since almost every product on the market now have a fair-trade alternative, finding ethical clothes, foods, and drinks is no more difficult. However, be sure that the foods and clothes you are choosing are marked with The Fairtrade Foundation’s FAIRTRADE mark. Alternatively, some products may also carry other symbols indicating that the item has been produced in compliance with fair trade practices.

Although ethical items may cost slightly higher than other products, preferring them over unethical equivalents may send a strong message to the industry, thus promoting ethical production practices. By spending a fraction of your budget on ethical items, you can ensure that the people producing them are fairly compensated and that the communities are not abused or exploited.

Ethical Energy Consumption

Ethical energy consumption means using products and services that care about the environment. The pollution and energy inefficiency that comes from using unethical products is a problem for the environment as well as the societies. As an ethical consumer, you can contribute to the green movement by buying energy-efficient light bulbs, using A-rated energy-saving appliances, switching to solar energy, and altering your consumption patterns to prevent the loss of energy.

Ethical Banking

Your banking and investment practices can also save the world. By choosing a bank that invests money into companies engaged in ethical business practices or following fair trade practices, you can hold the financial system accountable and promote ethical businesses.

Being an ethical consumer is increasingly becoming the only way to save the world. Buy fair trade clothing and accessories from us to take part in the social development movement. We not only hold our partners accountable to ensure fair trade production, but are also taking initiatives to make businesses safer and environmental friendly. Become the part of the movement by joining us now!

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