How To Change Your Shopping Habits To Help Society

 

Modern life is busy, but luckily, it’s so easy to get anything we need to be delivered to our doors within a few days. We can visit a supermarket and find everything from clothes to medicine to food to TVs, all under one roof. 

But if you’re looking at trying to reduce your impact on the world and enrich society, then your shopping habits are one place that you can look to create that change. 

Look at your current habits

Take a look at what you’re buying, what it’s made from, and the background of the company that makes it. You’ll probably discover that you’re buying a lot of products that are unnecessary or that can’t be recycled.  If you looked even further, you may find you’re buying products from companies that are damaging the environment or have poor working practices for their employees. 

It’s only once you get a clear view of your shopping habits that you can start to make changes.

Find local and independent retailers

You don’t have to stay away from large retailers completely, many of them are making a lot of good progress in their corporate social responsibility programs and are starting to stock ethical and recyclable products. However, finding independent brands and shopping with them can greatly support small business owners. For example, sites like Harlem Bling sell a number of different independent jewelry designs. 

Many independent retailers don’t have the resources of the bigger companies, so your business is very important to them. You’ll directly be helping this business reinvest in their products, expand and pay their staff fair wages. 

It is important to buy local where you can too. Anything you buy from a local retailer will be directly putting money back into your local economy. You’ll also be reducing the carbon footprint of what you buy as it won’t need to be shipped across the world or country to reach you. 

Buy from ethical companies

Research has shown that Millenials and Gen Z aren’t as loyal to brands as older consumers are. They look for brands that reflect their own personal values and political views. This might include their stance on political issues, workers' rights, and sustainability. Most companies will make a point of promoting this aspect of their business so it shouldn’t be too hard to find those that reflect your priorities. 

Buy less

If you’re like most people, you probably have more things than you need. It’s not good for your budget or the planet. You can make small changes to mean you’re buying less such as changing to reusable makeup wipes or a travel coffee mug. It may seem small but it really adds up. 

Also, look at what you do with things when you don’t need them anymore? Always try to donate or resell anything that can be used again by someone else. You could also choose to buy pre-loved items yourself rather than buying new ones. 

Conclusion

Our shopping habits have a huge impact on the world. What we buy, who we buy it from, and how we dispose of it should all be overhauled to make a difference.