When it comes to purchasing goods, most of us look at cost and quality to determine whether a product will go home with us. What most of us don’t think about is that every purchase we make has a positive or negative impact in the world. Our purchases unwillingly can support inequality, child labor, unfair pay, destruction of the environment, and unsafe working conditions. Or our purchases can empower, educate, equalize, change lives, and do good.
When I learned about fair trade, the practice of paying fair wages to producers in developing countries, in 2008, it immediately made so much sense to me that I couldn’t fathom how the traditional way of producing and selling goods was the status quo. True, we’re all biologically drawn to the titillating experience of purchasing bargains—you can thank the science-proven burst of feel-good dopamine for that emotional high. But if you step back and think about the individuals who made that purchase possible—how they could be underpaid, overworked, underage, working in dirty or dangerous factories … the high disappears pretty fast.
I think we, as consumers, have an increasing responsibility to purchase thoughtfully and to minimize the harm caused to people and our planet. I’m not saying it’s easy. You have to change your shopping habits, valuing impact more than deals, quantity, and trends—no small feat in a world where Amazon Prime reigns supreme. Not only that, corporations are increasingly latching onto causes to add a philanthropic angle to their marketing push, which can make it difficult to determine when you’re aiding real people and when you’re being hoodwinked.
But there are people striving to make conscious consumerism an easier path. I first encountered fair trade at Ten Thousand Villages, which has been providing fair compensation to artisans across the world for more than 70 years. They do all the research and vetting so you don’t have to. Everlane, an online clothing retailer, advocates “radical transparency,” showcasing the factories where its products are made, as well as explaining its true costs so you can understand exactly what you’re paying for. And then there are the local ethical retail warriors like me, who are opening up small shops across the country so you can touch and feel and experience proven products before you buy them.
You can make a small difference, one thoughtful purchase at a time. Here are a few steps to get you started.
Figure out what issues matter to you
It’s easy to be paralyzed by the overwhelming goodness that exists in the world. Rather than trying to support everything, find the causes that move your heart and look for brands that support those.
Go for quality, not quantity
It’s much more satisfying to buy one well-made item that will last you for years, rather than five cheap ones that will fall apart after their first wash.
Sign up for emails
Yep, I said sign up for emails! Get on the lists of the ethical brands you would love to purchase and wait for their sales.
SUSTAINABLE SHOPPING MADE EASY
These digital tools take the guess work out of making good decisions.
Nudge for Change
Get alerts when you’re walking into a business whose policies don’t align with issues you care about. Businesses are ranked using data from a variety of sources, including Glassdoor (worker’s rights and treatment), GLAAD (LGBT issues) and the EPA (the environment).
HowGood
Funnels data from 350 sources into a searchable database of more than 200,000 food products, allowing you to buy groceries based on how safe, healthy, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable they are.
Aspiration
Financial startup Aspiration automates background checks on brands you buy, generating two scores for companies: The “People” score gauges how well companies treat their employees and communities, and the “Planet” score assesses companies’ sustainability and eco-friendly practices. The company updates your own personalized AIM score every time you swipe, showing the positive (or negative) impact of where you shop.
RUPA SINGH is the owner of Love This, a mobile boutique inspiring consumers to make ethical shopping choices, a zero-waste mom to two little girls, an organizational wife to an altruistic architect, and 100 percent committed to encouraging thoughtful consumption.
