What Is Ethical Consumerism?

You’ve probably heard the term “ethical consumerism”. We’re all consumers. And how we consume really does matter to the people who make the goods we buy and to the health and future of the planet. 

 

At People Heart Planet, we talk about ethical consumerism as something that differs from person to person, depending on their motivation. And we break it down into 5 different motivations that are all a part of the ethical consumer movement today.

 

The first is political activism. Often described as "voting with your dollar". It can be a way of influencing or "lobbying" corporations to adopt certain practices. You can boycott certain companies or buy from certain companies to make your views on human rights and climate change known. This is most effective when it’s part of an organized campaign, such as Fashion Revolution or the Clean Clothes Campaign.

 

The second is simply values-based consumerism. This describes a lot of the people who don’t see themselves as “political” but want to align their personal values of respecting people and the planet with brands that share these values. These people may not be the ones showing up at protests or making calls to policymakers, but they are still an important part of the social change movement.

 

The third form of ethical consumerism is focused specifically on sustainable living. A large part of the ethical consumer movement today is singularly focused on making their lifestyles and consumer choices more eco-friendly, especially in regard to reducing carbon emissions and non-bio waste.

 

The fourth form of ethical consumerism is one that is all about human rights advocacy. So now we are talking about things like ensuring workers are being treated with respect, especially in regard to fair wages, safe conditions, stopping human trafficking and ending child labor.

 

And last but not the least, the fifth form of ethical consumerism that we really see as a very active part of the movement today is vegan advocacy. Veganism is often about a lot more than a diet. It’s about promoting a culture of respecting all life and standing up to the negative environmental impacts of modern industrial farming.

 

Obviously there are a lot of people who identify as intersectional, and ethical consumers can fall into more than one of these categories. But all of these motivations are important and when combined, are a strong force in the world today.

 

No doubt, we will see more and more companies changing the way they do business as a result of these shifts in consumer demand. And this is going to be only good for people and the planet.

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