Be a Conscious Consumer

Our daily decisions impact the planet’s environment, especially the choice of products we purchase. We obviously don’t want our decisions to cause the planet harm, which is why it is so important to be a conscious consumer. Conscious consumerism is the idea of being mindful about your purchases to ensure they have a positive impact on the world, whether that be a social or environmental impact. This may seem a little daunting, but there are some easy changes to make in order to be a more conscious consumer.

Cut Out Palm Oil

Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil found in an overwhelming amount of food products and other consumer goods. The unethical farming of palm oil is responsible for deforestation and the endangering of animals, as well as the release of toxic greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. So always check your ingredients to ensure they do not use palm oil! Palm oil can be labeled a number of different ways. Download the PalmOil Scan app to your phone to scan the barcodes of products to help, since there are so many more label names for palm oil and its derivatives than those listed below.

Say No to Fast Fashion

Fast fashion is killing the planet. Fast fashion is when retail companies mass produce clothing at cheap quality and cost. It introduces microplastics, contaminates water supplies, and promotes overconsumption. Fast fashion products are cheaply made and deteriorate quickly leading consumers to purchase clothing items more frequently, producing more waste. The cycle goes on and on. When able to, invest in quality clothing items that will last a long time if cared for properly. Shopping secondhand for clothing is another way to avoid fast fashion companies and be a more conscious consumer.

Embrace a Little Minimalism, Less is More

We tend to buy so much more than we actually need. New products launch and we want to try them out, but do we really need the latest phone, the current fashion trends, or the newest water bottle that is trending? One of the best ways to be a more conscious consumer is to consume less.

Use What You Have

There are a lot of incredible eco-friendly options available for all sorts of things. It’s easy to think that throwing out our non-eco-friendly products and switching to these will do a great service to the environment. The truth is, what is best for the environment is to use everything we already have. Throwing out what we currently have produces more waste. Working through what we have first and then making the eco-friendly switch is that way to do it.

Make changes in your daily habits to help the environment and be a more conscious consumer one step at a time.