Conscious Consumerism: What It is and How It Can Affect Change
What kinds of questions are you asking yourself when you go shopping?
Many of us focus first on cost, often by necessity. Some find themselves wondering about a product’s social impact and the best sales—these questions aren’t mutually exclusive!
There’s a whole process that takes a product from the raw material stage to being displayed on shelves, and not to mention what happens to it after it comes to the end of its useful life (at least in its current form).
Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world after oil, and this is due to the way our habits have changed in recent decades, way more focused on consumerism.
Today many fashion items are produced at very low costs and at a very fast pace. The continuous change of trends and the low quality are the characteristics of "fast fashion" companies.
Buying in low cost chains doesn’t actually cost less even if at the moment it seems to be spending less, because in the long run buying cheap items makes you spend much more than buying a few that last longer.
So, we need to go back to a more sustainable approach, when you only bought when you really needed them and made them last as long as possible.
Buy less, better and make them last longer.
Along with price and quality, the social and environmental impact of products from production to disposal is influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions. In other words, conscious consumerism is on the rise.
Eliminating impulse buys and opting for companies and products that create positive impact, consumers communicate a preference for better-for-the-world business and products.
Conscious consumerism is the real trend and it grows more and more popular by the day.