How To: Be a Responsible Consumer

What is a consumer and what does it mean to be a responsible consumer?

A consumer is a person who purchases goods and services for personal use. Being a responsible consumer means to know the limit of purchase. It’s the personal responsibility for the environmental costs and consequences of what you purchase and use. 

04 Easy Ways An Individual Can Start Contributing To A More Sustainable Future For The Economy:

1. Limiting what you purchase 

• Every product we purchase has an environmental footprint 

• The pollution emitted during manufacturing to the packaging that ends up in landfills

• So before we buy, ask yourself if you really need it

• Buy what we can use more than once rather than buying something for one time use.

2. Buying from local businesses

• To integrate local producers into their supply chains

• Eating local means more money stays within your community

• Reduces your carbon footprint

• Promoting better air quality and reducing pollution

3. Looking where products are from 

• Look for goods that are produced locally, or are second-hand, but this isn't always possible

• So, when we do buy something new, try to see where the product is being manufactured

• This gives us a better idea of where we’re buying from

• Makes us accountable for the product we want to purchase

4. Buy less plastic

• Plastic takes a long time to break down

• They are light and the wind easily catches them 

• The production and distribution of plastic has a huge carbon footprint 

• Is exacerbated because so many plastic products are designed to be disposable 

• Are destined for the landfill after just one use

We can start by making a small change to our lifestyle, like; instead of buying that pair of shoes that only matches one of your outfits, buy the pair of shoes that can be used more than once. When doing that, know where it is being manufactured from, avoid buying clothes from manufacturers that pay unfair wages, child labour or unsustainable practices etc. Sometimes, it’s better to buy from our local stores, it doesn’t have to be food, it can handmade totes- which promotes recycling and reusing clothes instead of buying plastic bags. Businesses like Eco roots, Earth hero, Eartheasy or Life without Plastic- these small businesses support sustainable practices.

We need to take care of the home we live in, which means we need to be responsible for its economy. With climate change and Covid- 19 being big issues in the world, we need to find a way to not only cope but learn how to be responsible for our actions. There are people who change their whole lifestyle to be a responsible global citizen which also means to be a responsible consumer. So why not start making small changes to our life now?