If you're concerned about shopping ethically, then you've come to the right place. If you're not concerned about it, then you've definitely come to the right place. (Still not convinced? You should check these as well: collective humanity and shop ethical). Shopping and being a consumer is a humanitarian endeavor. Depending on where you spend your money, you could be supporting sweatshops, child labor, or underpaid prison labor. By spending your money wisely, your gifts this Christmas can impact more than just the people on your checklist.
- Shop at Locally Owned Businesses
It can be fun to wander around your town and stumble upon small businesses, but if you’re like me and like to have a game plan you can visit www.independentwestand.org to look up businesses in your area. Independent We Stand explains that, “You can support the cause and help revive the local economy by shopping at your friends’ and neighbors’ local stores. Buy their products; eat their food; use their services. In turn, these locally owned and operated businesses will continually pump your hard-earned dollars back into the local economy by way of taxes, payrolls and purchases. This means more money for roads, schools, services and new jobs in your community.” A great way to support locally owned restaurants or shops is giving family members gift cards!
- Make Your Gifts
This may seem tacky or childish but things like homemade candles, quilts, knitted scarves or blankets are so personal and are worth a lot more than a simple price tag (although prices for homemade things are generally significant). These are the kinds of gifts your family will really appreciate and remember.
- Look on Etsy
However, if you’re not crafty, you can support someone who is. Many of your friends might even have shops on the site. If you don’t know anyone personally, you can still specify the location of shops you want to browse to support artists and crafters in your area.
- Look for Fair Trade Certification
If you’re looking for more universal gifts like clothing or home goods check out Fair Trade’s Shopping Guide. They have a wide range of companies that provide everything from ethically sourced coffee and chocolate (which are generally crowd-pleasers) to shoes. Always check for Fair Trade labels when shopping at any business.
By implementing some of these tips, you’ll be more likely to avoid companies that use sweatshop labor across seas, or the new slave labor in America: prison labor. It can be tempting to shop online or go Black Friday shopping at big-name companies, but by putting more time and thought into our gifts, we can impact our local communities and resist oppression together.
