Introduction to Conscious Consumerism

Every purchase decision you make has little power to change the world, either positively or negatively. Let’s get started to realize that!

What is conscious consumerism?

When you enter a store and pass the shelves, do you ever think about where the products you put in your basket come from, under what conditions they were produced, and what effects do they have on the environment and climate change? Or are you just focusing on cost out of necessity as most people do?

The concept of “conscious consumer” dates back to the 1970s. Back then, customers used this notion mostly for consumer rights to battle unfair labor practices, guarantee product reliability, carry out financial settlement, and promote healthy competition in the market. However, today, consumers have changed their perspective more on focusing on making responsible purchase decisions. As stated by The New York Times, conscious consumption is an umbrella term that simply means engaging in the economy with more awareness of how your consumption impacts society at large. With the intent to preserve the environment, shopping sustainably is one way to consume more consciously today.

Who is a conscious consumer?

Now that we know what conscious consumerism is, let’s talk about who a conscious consumer is by its meaning today. Would you call yourself a conscious consumer? What do you do to be a conscious consumer? Is there a recipe for this?

The conscious consumer is the person who looks not only at the products they need but the brand that produces those products. In other words, they are the people who thoroughly research the companies that make these products before buying them. Because they are aware that they support these companies to continue their business with the products they buy. If you aim to be a conscious consumer, you need to make sure which brands you will support or not support.

Why is it crucial to be a conscious consumer?

So, why should we start considering changing the way we support our favorite brands and purchase products from ethical, eco-friendly, local, and vegan businesses? Especially when it is much easier to support cheaper companies which are great also for your pocket!

Around the world today, the power of global companies depends mostly on money, and luckily, we have control over to what extent they can get from it. Since we have the authority to choose which companies we use, we should become more aware of what we spent our money on for several reasons:

–      It’s good for your health. It protects you against unethical businesses that put your health at risk of allergies or diseases through the food you eat and the products you use produced by them.

–      It contributes to the right and ethical companies. We support the companies that try to eliminate their environmental footprint for every product they make and take green initiatives instead of greenwashing.

–      It reduces the consumption of limited resources. Some environmentally friendly business practices include reducing their dependence on natural resources, using recycled materials, and cutting unnecessary business activities such as reducing air travel by holding online calls.

–      It helps to end child labor and human rights violations. Some companies offer more affordable prices by choosing some unethical ways to stay in the market. Consciously, we make an effort to research companies that value the environment and human rights instead of quickly purchasing cheaper products.

We will discover together how to become a conscious consumer in my next post. Until then, take care of yourself, and feel free to use the comments section below.

Further reading:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/01/smarter-living/sustainabile-shopping-conscious-consumer.html
• https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/environment/environment-business/benefits
• https://projectgrace.com/sustainable-living-important/