How can we put our funds where our mouths are? By spending with those who are ethical, who support causes that are important to us, and who don’t support things we would rather not spend our money on. Do you know which politicians your fast food dollars support? What about the big box hardware store? Online sellers? Oil companies that supply your local gas station?
Here are some suggestions for ways to be a more ethical shopper:
- Ask yourself – do you really need it? Or are you just buying because you can?
- Shop with ethical merchants.
- Look at local merchants. Small companies are often very socially conscious, and their owners usually live in the community.
- Recycling and trading are all ways to be an ethical consumer. Remember grandma’s quilts made from scraps?
- Shop for used or vintage items.
- Think about your credit cards, savings and investments. Are they companies that share your values? Have you looked into your local credit union?
- Boycott companies that are not in line with your ethics. Look at what they do, not just their commercials. Vote with your dollar.
So where should you shop? Here are a few suggestions:
- Greatergood.org
- Verishop.com
- Peace on Fifth (I know the owner)
- Accompany
- Done Good
- The Little Market
- Eileen Fisher
- ThredUp
- Patagonia
- Bookshop.org
- Dr. Bronner’s (a personal favorite)
- Warby Parker
- Bombas
- Ben & Jerry’s
- Aspiration
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