Since the start of my journey, I always say that going green is a process with different steps for everybody. I'm a massive fan of the "Focus on what you can do instead of what you can't" attitude. Keeping that spirit, sometimes shopping for ethical brands can be a little tricky. They rarely have physical stores so it's hard to try on products, or they might be a little more expensive than you can afford. Sometimes it's also just that you can't find what you're looking for. For whatever reason it is, it does happen that you can't shop directly from an ethical brand. So what should you do when that happens? Let's see a few ideas!
1. SHOP SECONDHAND
Obviously this doesn't work for everything, but it's always the first step to look into. I used to be a little iffy about buying secondhand so this is something I've worked towards. A great place to start is to shop for secondhand furniture or homeware. At least for me it didn't feel as strange at first. This is also a good option for specialized gear and a cheaper option. I bought my tap shoes secondhand and saved quite a bit! Buying secondhand is the most ethical thing to do as you're not creating a new product.
The Irish Charity Shops Association has a great list of shops in Ireland. Otherwise I like to use Facebook marketplace for home items!
2. BUY FROM LOCAL COMPANIES & BUSINESSES
That's another cool option to try. It's great for local economies and it supports smaller businesses that usually are a lot more conscious of the planet since their supply chain is smaller. Often this also means that they have a local shop you can walk into and try the items. I've been focusing a lot on that since living in Ireland and I've discovered so many amazing brands I would've never heard of before either. A lot of cities have massive local design fairs (usually around Christmas) and that's a great place to scope out brands.
These necklaces are from an Irish brand called A Box for My Treasure, you can get them here
3. FOCUS ON WELL RATED COMPANIES
Have you ever heard of the app Good On You? They evaluate and rate companies according to Environmental, Human & Animal welfare standards. Their reviews are very well detailed and make it so easy to make a choice. They obviously don't have all the brands in existence but they have a lot. If you're considering buying from a bigger brand, it's a good idea to look in the app to see which ones are rated better than the others. A quick example is that M&S is rated "Good" on there, so if I do need to buy something a little cheaper or quickly, I will gravitate more towards them.
You can get the Good On You app here.
4. FOCUS ON NATURAL FIBERS
When it comes to fashion, one easier thing to look out for is natural fibers like cotton, linen, silk, wool, etc. I've talked about this before but the fabrics we choose to wear can have a massive impact on the ocean and the environment so it's worth paying attention to. Synthetic fibres are usually made out of plastic or contain harsh chemicals. Natural fibers on the other hand will biodegrade. And eyes there are better ones than others, but for now let's just focus on avoiding synthetic! On top of that synthetic fibers don't breathe and usually make people sweaty and smelly!
I have a blog post all about fabrics & their environmental impacts if you want to read more about that.
5. BUY GOOD QUALITY PRODUCTS
If all else fails, focus on buying good quality items that will last. No one is perfect and there will always be situations where buying ethical isn't possible. When that happens though, take the time to think your purchases through and make sure they are items that you will use and love for a long long time. I find this particularly important in the tech world. There are more and more cheap options available, but these items tend to break very fast or not work properly and leave you buying a second or even third one. Let's avoid all that, save the planet and save yourself money in the long run.
3 comments
Good tips, I must try out that Good on You app. I’d add – consider lending/swapping with others and repair/adapt clothes and other items. Most repairs are easy and you tube is a great source for learning the basics. Both those options help you to focus on the Reduce part of Reduce Reuse Recycle and the reduce part is the most important.
Good tip! I definitely agree 🙂 I have a few posts about making clothes last longer by taking good care of them and caring for shoes and things like that. There’s a reason Reduce comes first 🙂
But natural fibres are not always more ethical. I think we all know the issues with cotton plantations, cashmire production and so on. Good quality sports fibresactually are not smelly as they wick sweat away from the body and transpire.