How And Why You Should Shop Ethically

How And Why You Should Shop Ethically

The simple act of shopping ethically can have some tremendous benefits the world over. The impact can be close to home in helping to boost your local community and economy and more wide ranging, it can also help protect the human rights and improving the working conditions of workers all over the world. Not to mention the positive impacts it can have on the environment. If enough people gather together and take steps to change their shopping habits to incorporate an ethical mindset, it can positively effect global change and lay the path for a better future. Here are some ways to shop ethically to help improve the world for you and everyone in it.

One of the first things you can do is to opt for sustainable products and brands when it comes to the clothes you wear. Sustainable goods have much less of an environment impact as they are typically produced utilizing processes that have a minimal effect on pollution or from materials that use renewable sources. Essentially sustainable fashion refers to clothing that is designed, manufactured and distributed in an environmentally friendly manor.

Avoiding fast fashion and shopping your own closet is a great way to shop sustainably. Ethical fashion  considers environmental impact in it's production practices and also its effect on larger issues such as working conditions, rates of pay, fair trade, and animal warfare. While not all brands may publicize their ethical and sustainability standards, there are more companies like Sézane that are moving in this direction of being more transparent about their practices. Further boycotting brands that are known to exploit their workers and standards is one of the best ways of taking a moral stance and inviting change.

Better yet, instead of buying brand new all of the time consider using thrift stores or second hand selling apps such as Depop to stock your wardrobe with the latest fashion must haves, particularly if you know you are looking at trendy items that you might wear for only a season or two. You never know, you may even get a high quality fashion item for a bargain price.

Ethical shopping is not just limited to your wardrobe. It can also encompass the food you consume. With a few simple adjustments, you can easily be more socially conscious with your grocery shopping. When it comes to buying meats or animals products looking for labels such as USDA organic, free range or pasture raised as this will ensure animal welfare and humane farming practices were in use on the products you buy. Some brands such as Superior Farms make identifying their ethical and sustainable practices easy for you but if you’re unsure, read the labels or just do some research and become an educated consumer. Other key labels to look out for are fair trade, vegan, palm oil free, or certified humane.

Shopping locally is another way to ensure sustainability and ethical practices. Products that have been locally produced tend to have a smaller carbon footprint than those that are shipped or flown in, not to mention the consumer will have also travelled less distance to shop. Food can also be fresher and can utilize more eco-friendly or less packaging as well. Finally, shopping locally can benefit your local community and the economy by producing more jobs and resulting in more money being put into it.

This is a contributed post.

3 comments

Jackie Harrison said...

Great tips I love thrift shop you find treasure you do not find in stores. Have a lovely rest of the week.

Ivana Split said...

Shopping locally is a great way to support one's community. Plus, it is easier to do reasearch on local brands.

Luda Tischenko said...

Great post