Buy on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nZero Waste<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This is the biggest <\/em>benefit that started the whole movement towards conscious consumerism. The unintended impact on the environment stemming from every single purchase we make, has become far too great to ignore. Unconscious<\/em> consumerism is run by a free market system. Whatever the people\u2019s needs are, determine what, and how much, will be made. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe only <\/em>thing that matters is getting the product to the consumer, no matter <\/em>how badly it\u2019s managed. During the manufacturing process, harmful gases and waste products are unlawfully disposed of. And after <\/em>the product has been used, it stays around, because plastics never truly break down all the way. When you\u2019re buying consciously, all of that goes out the window! <\/p>\n\n\n\nEthically produced products are made in a way that has minimal impact on the environment. No negative impact on anyone, or anything while it was being made, or once it has been used!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Better quality<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regular goods, such as fast-fashion clothing, are made quickly, and to serve their purpose as quickly as possible. Once the purpose has been served, they are thrown away, which impacts the environment. When you\u2019re buying consciously and ethically, you\u2019re not buying short-term use products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The products that you end up buying will be much better overall quality, and will last much longer, if not forever! So, even if you\u2019re paying a slightly higher price, you\u2019re paying it for something that will last you at least a couple of years!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Promotes fair trade<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs important as it is to make sure that the money you\u2019re spending doesn\u2019t contribute to environmental waste, it\u2019s equally important to think about the people that are affected while the products are being produced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you buy free market goods, the companies producing those goods compete on a higher level with each other. This means that they have to cut as many costs <\/em>as they can. To do that, they end up underpaying employees, making them work in sweatshops, testing on animals, and employing child labor. These are social costs that you incur every time you make a purchase. <\/p>\n\n\n\nYour purchases fuel the system. When you choose to buy only <\/em>from ethical companies, you take part in a system where it\u2019s important that everyone involved in<\/em> the process of that product gets fairly treated and properly paid. Even though this comes at an increased price, it ends up changing the lives of everyone <\/em>along the way! <\/p>\n\n\n\nA report called Pulse of the Fashion Industry 2017 by Boston Consulting Group, revealed just how much <\/em>impact this can make. Just a 5% increase in retail prices could double <\/em>the amount that workers make! For us, at the consumer end, it barely makes a difference. But on the end of the worker, it could change lives!
<\/p>\n\n\n\nPromotes gender equality<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhen you buy from ethical companies, they adhere to fair trade policies. These policies don\u2019t just <\/em>make sure that everyone and everything in the way of production is treated well, but they also have a spin-off benefit: gender equality. <\/p>\n\n\n\nEthical shopping actually promotes <\/em>gender equality worldwide! <\/em>70% of the entire garment workforce is female. The number is the same when it comes to the poorest people in the world. This means when a company switches over to fair trade policies, the women that were otherwise working on very minimal <\/em>wages and in horrible conditions, will have the ability to not only work comfortably, in stable and safe workplaces, but they will also be fairly compensated for their efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBetter for your budget<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe\u2019ve all done a little retail therapy here and there. However, <\/em>impulse buying also means that you end up wasting <\/em>a lot of money buying random stuff you don\u2019t necessarily need. Since there\u2019s not a lot of thinking involved in the process, you might find that you\u2019ve overspent even if you didn\u2019t mean to! <\/p>\n\n\n\nConscious consumers spend more time researching the companies and products they\u2019re interested in. Even if the individual product is priced slightly higher than a non-ethical brand, it ends up being of a higher quality, which means it will last much longer, which means you end up spending less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Could even be cheaper<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOne of the main arguments people have against <\/em>buying ethically produced goods is that the products are priced higher. This is to make sure there\u2019s minimal environmental and social impact. Also, <\/em>that\u2019s not the only <\/em>way to buy ethically. A popular alternative to buying products directly from a company is to buy them second-hand! <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen you\u2019re buying goods second-hand, they\u2019re usually priced lower, and since you\u2019re not buying directly from a company, you\u2019re not really contributing to the impact on your own, instead, you\u2019re keeping those goods out of landfills! So, in the end, it ends up being better <\/em>for your budget to buy ethically instead, you just have to spend a little extra time and effort finding what you need!<\/p>\n\n\n\nRelaxing experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFinding the right items to buy is a process that takes time, but that also comes with its own advantages. When you take your time making the right decision, you eliminate the habit of buying things in a rush. This means the \u201cpanic buying\u201d goes away too! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more time you take to research what you\u2019re spending on and the impact that product has on the world, the more you\u2019ll find yourself feeling relaxed through the process of buying. You\u2019ll know exactly what you\u2019re getting, and what it took for the product to get to the shelves!<\/p>\n\n\n\n