5 Ethical Shopping Tips

YOU can make a difference by thinking about what you want versus what you need and making just that little bit more of an effort to get it. Some advise to the ethical consumer:

  • Consume Less! – Shopping ethically isn’t enough. It’s not about simply replacing bad products with good ones. We also need to reduce the amount of stuff that we buy, use and throw away. Before you go shopping ask yourself a few simple questions – Do I need this? Will I use this? What’s going to happen to it when I’ve finished with it?
  • Get campaigning – What you buy is only part of it. It’s also important to look at whether campaigning politically is also necessary to achieve a particular set of goals. In our product reports we almost always suggest contacts for taking additional political action. This action can include signing online petitions, contacting your local MP or other politicians, attending demonstrations or getting involved in more direct action campaigns.
  • Shop locally – Our local shops are in decline, and our high streets are becoming a sea of chain stores and supermarkets. Shopping locally can reduce car use and support your local communities too. You might find it harder to find more ethical brands – but most shopkeepers care about your custom and you might find that you can persuade them to stock your favourite ethical products.
  • Ethical Money – It’s not just where you spend your money that counts, it’s where you put it too, in banks, investments or savings accounts. We review financial products, from bank accounts to ethical investment funds.
  • Recycling and second-hand – You don’t always have to buy new. Recycled and second-hand products save precious resources and reduce pressure on landfill sites. www.ethicalconsumer.org…

Check out Ethical Consumer

Ethical Consumer is the hub of the ethical consumption movement in the UK. Their mission is to make global business more sustainable through consumer pressure. They have a wealth oftips, such asshopping tips,mythbusting and a guide to why we should buy ethically in the first place.

Also, here is an interesting article on ‘How fair is your shopping bag?’, from Stand.ie, a project of Suas Educational Development, as part of its Global Campus programme to engage a broad range of students in talking about development issues.

Ever wonder where plastic bottles come from and go to?

  • 6204 million plastic bottles were recycled in 2010
  • 48% of household plastic bottles are currently recycled
  • 6556 million plastic bottles were disposed of in 2010
  • Plastic bottle recycling schemes currently operate in 365 local authority areas
  • 1 tonne = 22,000 plastic bottles from household collections (when looking at ROTG 25,000 as bottles are smaller)
  • 83% of all plastic bottles recycled are collected from kerbsides
  • There are approx 4,400 bottles in a typical bale
  • The majority of plastic bottles are made from PET or HDPE
  • Recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60W light bulb for up to 6 hours
  • 25 recycled PET bottles can be used to make up an adult fleece jacket

YOU can make a difference by thinking about what you want versus what you need and making just that little bit more of an effort to get it. Some advise to the ethical consumer:

  • Consume Less! – Shopping ethically isn’t enough. It’s not about simply replacing bad products with good ones. We also need to reduce the amount of stuff that we buy, use and throw away. Before you go shopping ask yourself a few simple questions – Do I need this? Will I use this? What’s going to happen to it when I’ve finished with it?
  • Get campaigning – What you buy is only part of it. It’s also important to look at whether campaigning politically is also necessary to achieve a particular set of goals. In our product reports we almost always suggest contacts for taking additional political action. This action can include signing online petitions, contacting your local MP or other politicians, attending demonstrations or getting involved in more direct action campaigns.
  • Shop locally – Our local shops are in decline, and our high streets are becoming a sea of chain stores and supermarkets. Shopping locally can reduce car use and support your local communities too. You might find it harder to find more ethical brands – but most shopkeepers care about your custom and you might find that you can persuade them to stock your favourite ethical products.
  • Ethical Money – It’s not just where you spend your money that counts, it’s where you put it too, in banks, investments or savings accounts. We review financial products, from bank accounts to ethical investment funds.
  • Recycling and second-hand – You don’t always have to buy new. Recycled and second-hand products save precious resources and reduce pressure on landfill sites. www.ethicalconsumer.org…

Check out Ethical Consumer

Ethical Consumer is the hub of the ethical consumption movement in the UK. Their mission is to make global business more sustainable through consumer pressure. They have a wealth oftips, such asshopping tips,mythbusting and a guide to why we should buy ethically in the first place.

Also, here is an interesting article on ‘How fair is your shopping bag?’, from Stand.ie, a project of Suas Educational Development, as part of its Global Campus programme to engage a broad range of students in talking about development issues.


Ever wonder where plastic bottles come from and go to?

  • 6204 million plastic bottles were recycled in 2010
  • 48% of household plastic bottles are currently recycled
  • 6556 million plastic bottles were disposed of in 2010
  • Plastic bottle recycling schemes currently operate in 365 local authority areas
  • 1 tonne = 22,000 plastic bottles from household collections (when looking at ROTG 25,000 as bottles are smaller)
  • 83% of all plastic bottles recycled are collected from kerbsides
  • There are approx 4,400 bottles in a typical bale
  • The majority of plastic bottles are made from PET or HDPE
  • Recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60W light bulb for up to 6 hours
  • 25 recycled PET bottles can be used to make up an adult fleece jacket