Amid the shopping, eating, drinking, and traveling frenzy of the holiday season, it is easy to completely overlook the underlying themes of love, generosity, peace, and goodwill. Sure, you might donate canned goods to a food drive or volunteer for a few hours one afternoon, but with the busy-ness of life, you probably won’t do it again til next year.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could be making a larger, more lasting impact every time you purchase something? All you have to do is practice conscious consumerism.
Conscious consumerism is all about making thoughtful choices when you purchase, well, just about anything. It’s the difference between buying a toy that is made with recycled materials by someone who is paid a living wage and works in a clean, safe environment, versus a toy loaded with toxic chemicals made by someone who earns pennies a day and works in deplorable conditions.
Conscious consumerism is the kissing cousin of conscious capitalism, which we practice at BuyPartisan’s parent company, Spend Consciously. Conscious capitalism is focused on making a positive impact on our employees, customers, vendors, partners, and the community in everything we do. You know the saying, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” That’s conscious capitalism in a nutshell.
The problem is that companies who do practice conscious capitalism don’t announce it in big bold letters on their website or product packaging, making it a little harder to become a conscious consumer. However, it’s not impossible!
Here is how you can start making a positive impact with every purchase today … and every day.
Use the BuyPartisan app
One of the easiest places to start is by looking up a company’s political party and political action committee (PAC) contributions via the BuyPartisan app. This information is a great overview of what values the company and its CEO and Board of Directors hold dear.
Look up the company philosophy/vision/values/mission
You will find a lot of valuable information in the company’s About section, especially if they include their philosophy, vision, values, and mission. At a bare minimum, you will understand what makes them tick.
Research the company
For a more in-depth look at a company – and to find out if they practice what they preach – pull out your Sherlock Holmes’ cap and pipe and start researching the company online. Have they been in the news for EPA violations or mistreatment of whistleblowers? Do they actively support charitable organizations and encourage their employees to get involved?
Read product descriptions
Companies who design, build, and sell products using sustainable practices and materials will say so in their product descriptions as a way to differentiate themselves from the competition. Look for keywords like locally-made, locally-sourced, reclaimed/recycled materials, green energy, etc.
Happy Shopping!
