Simple steps to being a more conscious consumer
Ecology is the study of interactions between living organisms and their environment. It offers fresh insight into these crucial systems' current state and potential future developments. This practice enhances the planet and is essential to the health and well-being of people. It offers a fresh understanding of the connection between humans and nature, which is necessary for food production, preserving clean air and water, and preserving biodiversity in the face of climate change. Many of us consider being aware shoppers one of our top priorities, but knowing where to start can be intimidating.
Customers may have run out of toilet paper or wheat during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, or they may have unsuccessfully bought an inflatable backyard pool online. For those confined at home, however, there was one resource that was never-ending – time. Some used their time by exploring online stores; others started practicing mindful activities like restorative yoga and pilates. Most important to those consumers is the gear available at their homes. And lots of customers have been more and more eco-friendly oriented, as they have stated.
Given greater time to reflect on routine activities and decisions, many people began paying attention to how their shopping choices affected the environment. Whether you want to buy a real eco thick yoga mat or recycled toothbrush, it's up to you to pick items packaged in environmentally friendly methods. Only 35% of respondents to our 2019 Global Consumer Insights Survey said they looked for ecologically friendly packaging, 37% said they looked for sustainable items, and 41% said they avoided using plastic wherever possible.
The good news is that anyone can become a more responsible consumer by following a few straightforward guidelines. The actions listed below may seem simple, yet they have a tremendous impact year-round.
Step 1 Always review the Labels
Make sure to check the label for product safety certification before purchasing any new textile products, including apparel, a real eco thick yoga mat, certain home goods, etc. Focus on the certifications that are most crucial to your values and objectives despite the fact that there are many different types.
For instance, the safety certification STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® guarantees that each component of an article has been examined for the presence of hazardous materials. It is important to know that your favorite pair of leggings or the thick yoga mat you use every day is free of poisonous or harmful chemicals. One method to make sure the business producing the products you choose is attempting to do the right thing for the environment is to look for eco-friendly and sustainable certifications on products.
The Leaping Bunny certified emblem, the EPA Safer Choice mark, and the BCorp symbol are a few of the most renowned certification logos to keep a look out for when selecting a product.
- EPA Safer Choice program
To assist consumers in finding cleaning products and other goods that are not only safer for you and your family but also for the environment, the EPA Safer Choice program was established. These goods have to contain safer chemical components. The EPA website states that makers of items with the Safer Choice logo "have made significant efforts in research and reformulation to ensure that their products fulfill the Safer Choice Standard. These businesses are innovators in both sustainability and safer products."
- BCorp certification
The BCorp accreditation, on the other hand, shows that the business behind the item you're about to purchase is one that is committed to striking a balance between profit and purpose. A company must through a thorough and rigorous evaluation process before being granted BCorp designation to make sure it adheres to "the highest standards of verifiable social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability." B Corps are committed to accelerating a change in the global culture that will significantly alter what it means to succeed in business and create a more sustainable economy.
Step 2 Study the brand
Researching the companies that produce the goods you want can help you shop more wisely. Watch out for companies that operate in ethical and environmentally responsible ways.
Searching for this information on the business website is a great method. Also, look for great deals; for example, our brand has a "Buy mat get free pad" policy. That means if you add a thicker mat, for instance to your order, you will get a complimentary pad as well simply by using "buymatgetpad" as the promo code. Also, we plant a tree with every mat bought. Our products are eco-friendly, ethically sourced organic cotton and plant-based rubber, which approves and certifies our mission to improve people's lives by helping you develop the ideal strength or restorative yoga practice.
Step 3 Learn about your community's recycling initiatives
Just because a package claims it's recyclable doesn't imply it truly is. Depending on each government's program and standards, it may be accepted at some facilities in some areas. However, many of the packing items that people throw in their bins aren't actually welcomed by the local recycling facilities. When it comes to the dangers of thinking this environmentally-friendly practice might save the day, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Many recycling organizations across the nation are unable to reuse a large portion of the materials they receive.
Meanwhile, certain facilities are unable to process other materials. Most significantly, the global market for recyclables has all but vanished. There are just not enough markets for the wide varieties of plastic that are being manufactured. Consumers must start to comprehend this extremely important concept if we want to make a significant change in our daily lives.
Increase your efforts by deliberately looking for goods wrapped in glass, metal, or cardboard rather than plastic when shopping. An increasing number of start-ups are dedicated to rescuing the environment and upending the status quo. Additionally, these start-ups are selling a variety of goods, from cleaners and laundry detergents to cosmetics that are packaged in non-traditional, environmentally friendly materials.
Step 4 Make an effort to buy carbon-neutral products
Given that carbon emissions are thought to be the main cause of climate change, it is imperative that the businesses you patronize by making purchases from them accept responsibility for their emissions and take regular, significant steps to reduce them.
Companies that produce goods for retailers can become carbon-neutral by, for example, buying high-quality carbon offsets from initiatives like wind farms. By taking this action, you can promote the shift to a sustainable energy economy and give renewable energy developers more money.
Meanwhile, customers can look for businesses that explicitly state on their packaging or websites that they are carbon-neutral. Check whether they have a certification to support their claim of being carbon-neutral while you're at it.
Step 5 Reduce, reuse, and refuse
Refusal needs to be a new way ahead. At this critical point in the history of our world, avoiding purchases of environmentally hazardous goods is more crucial than relying just on recycling. Refusal can be followed by forming a strong habit of utilizing things more than once rather than buying new ones.
Ask yourself: Are you actually in need of the thing you're thinking about buying? Can you get something from friends? Can something be used again? Recycling is connected with refusal and reuse.
Let's say you have a passion for yoga. You have to find the perfect mat, one that you will be able to use for a longer time, one that will be made with love and a great deal of quality. Refuse to buy cheap ones because they are not good for your health or for the environment. For example, if you practice strength yoga, a style that incorporates more dynamic poses or balanced, focused asanas, thinner options can help maintain stability. Look for thicker mats with rough surfaces to keep your grip when the poses become more difficult. For more therapeutic exercises, real eco thick yoga mats offer additional padding.
You have to be very conscious while making choices; after all, those decisions are the ones that influence your life.
Step 6 Examine the Production Process
It is important to take into account the ecological and social aspects of a product's production process. This covers things like the manufacturing process's power sources and any other materials that might be applied.
Large-scale water use, for instance, can have a variety of negative effects on the neighborhood when natural resources are diverted. A sustainable product would aim to reduce such effects through manageable measures, whether it be through restricted manufacture or the development of new steps to mitigate the harm. This frequently necessitates checking the production locations and refining their own internal procedures to lessen the company's environmental impact.
The wider ecological effects of any product's value chain, including the supply chain, must also be taken into account, in addition to the materials used in production. However, the latter still plays a significant role in the effects the product has over its life cycle.
In addition, limiting a package's expenses, which entails minimizing adverse environmental effects across the product's whole life cycle, including its initial beginning; may have some financial advantages for the company. Particularly in developing nations, third-party certification at the global level, such as that from the World Fair Trade Organization, is frequently recognized for sustainability efforts like lowering one's contribution to climate change, improving products continuously, and ensuring the sustainable development of the company.
Step 7 Make better thoughtful choices
If you still feel the urge to buy something, for example, a real eco thick yoga mat – try doing it more carefully!
Think about it: If the item wasn't on sale, would I still be buying it? In a week, will I be content with this purchase? 1 month? 1 year? Why do I think I need this product? Does this thing really make me happy? Would it be wiser to use this money in another way? Do I want to back this business and the individuals who run it?
Final thoughts
We can all be hampered by inertia, which can make change difficult and costly. Furthermore, it might be discouraging that transformation takes time. However, governments worldwide are stumbling giants that cannot respond to the climate crisis or environmental pollution quickly enough. Additionally, industrial lobbyists with a strong interest in protecting their earnings frequently block legislative progress.
Consumers from all around must pressure elected officials to take more assertive action. In the absence of genuine national leadership, consumers must take the initiative. Meanwhile, or concurrently, we must take more daring actions daily. The good news is that there are already a few little indications of this occurring, such as a raised level of awareness among customers who desire to live more sustainably.
The environmental impact of the product's final stages of use must be taken into account, in addition to the choice of raw materials. We can more accurately analyze a product's overall sustainability by doing a full life cycle study. We must remember that consumer behavior affects the life cycle of a product.
Utilizing recyclable and ecologically friendly materials will significantly impact this situation. These products guarantee that customers can choose more sustainability to safeguard natural resources. Verify that every non-recyclable substance is absolutely necessary and that it is used as little as possible. This article must have helped you realize that you have a lot of purchasing power and that it is up to you to be more deliberate about how you use your money. Please keep these concepts in mind all year long, not just during the holidays.
Our team of concerned yogis who want to make every practice as healing as possible has a great deal of creating real eco thick yoga mats, props, and clothing that is made up of ethical and environmentally friendly materials.
Strength yoga, exercise, and self-improvement are our passions. We also completely believe in the power of yoga practice's ability to change lives, which is why we work hard to support practitioners in achieving their goals throughout their individual journey to becoming yogis. By doing this, we can all work toward improving the world as a whole.
