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About the Book | Climate Change | Ethical Consumerism | Global Poverty | Recycling | War ETHICAL CONSUMERISM “Every time you spend a dollar, remember that it is your vote in our collective consumer democracy. Think about it. Would any of us vote for a politician who promised us more pollution, more exploitation of the poor and a bleak future for the planet and our children? No? Then why are we voting for those outcomes with our money?” (Extract from “How to Win a Nobel Prize – A Stay-at-Home Mum’s Guide”) What we can do as Individuals As individuals, we can vote for the outcomes we want with our dollars. There are plenty of ethical products on the market. We just need to concentrate on purchasing anything we need from reliable, well-labelled sources that we know to adopt sound environmental and human rights policies. I have tried to break this section up by category of purchases! Perishable Food Products
Interesting websites with Fairtrade product lists include: For the benefits of organic produce v. non-organic products for your family and the environment, see It is also very important – especially for the sorts of perishable foods (green, leafy vegetables for instance) that are usually transported by air – to try and buy local produce e.g. from farmers’ markets. Airfreight is a major source of carbon emissions – I am sure you noticed what a high proportion of my family’s carbon emissions (now set-off) were caused by flights! Other important ethical labels include the Marine Stewardship Council label on sustainable seafood products. (See www.msc.com) Non-perishable food stuff This includes products like tea, coffee, canned goods etc. Here again, organic and Fairtrade are the key. Household goods White goods & Brown goods It is very straightforward to identify the most efficient white goods, whether it is a washing machine, dryer or refrigerator or the most efficient brown goods such as a television or CD player (although with brown goods, bear in mind that switching off the standby mode is half the battle). And of course, once you have identified the best products – you can request them at your local dealer – even if the products in the shop do not carry the relevant labeling.
Household cleaners We are spoilt for choice when it comes to general household green products. However, some of the small brands might not be readily available worldwide in which case the best thing to do is forage in your local organic shop. These two websites do list a lot of possibilities though! Also, if you are more competent than I am when it comes to household chores, you can certainly make your own cleaners. See www.eartheasy.com for details! Body products There is of course The Body Shop. There is quite likely to be one near you and it is a safe bet for ethical body products. See www.thebodyshop.com. This is the easiest option and the one I have opted for – whether it is shampoo, soap, creams, conditioners or perfumes. Alternative possibilities are organic or natural products – but don’t be fooled by general claims of being close to nature or the long haired women bouncing through fields – read the list of ingredients. Cars (see Global Warming) Computers Thought your computer was not a problem? Think again! The average PC has the following toxic substances:
All of which means that about 70% of heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, in landfill sites come from e-waste. And the US alone, for example, throws away 30,000,000 computers a year. But a new standard is here. Just see www.epeat.net which was created by the Portland, Ore.-based Green Electronics Council and adopted at the annual International Symposium on Electronics and the Environment. The voluntary standard, funded by the U.S. EPA, was initiated by a group of manufacturers, environmentalists, and purchasers. As always, you might not find the EPEAT labels in a shop near you but you just have to visit the website to get the best “green” options on the market! Paper products Since switching to 100% post consumer waste recycled paper, I have been really pleased with the quality. As the paper is also unbleached and chlorine free, it has a slightly yellow, parchment feel (while still working perfectly in the printer, fax etc.) “Normal” paper just seems so lacking in character now. You can track down the nearest supplier of recycled paper, the following (a Danish 100% post consumer waste chlorine free unbleached paper) is the best brand I have found: Clothes The best options are:
General ethical labels The following is an exceptionally clear site about the mainstream ecolabels and ethical labels. Do have a look and look out for them in the shops! http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/consumerprod/shopguide/index.htm Service providers Many high street service providers like banks and retailers are trying to go green. As mentioned in the Guide it is not clear whether these are for reasons of genuine concern or clever market positioning. To some extent, I do not think it matters and believe we should support this behaviour by switching to these providers even when not specifically looking for a green item. Among the big companies who are stepping up include:
If you send me more examples of big business coming to its senses, I will list it. Scaling Up Scaling up involves:
If any mother comes up with a scaleable strategy for any of the above, it would have a huge impact. Letter on Effective Labelling ( letter in Word format)
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About the Book | Climate Change | Ethical Consumerism | Global Poverty | Recycling | War