Does ethical shopping change anything? The reports of the last week that organic food doesn’t do us any more good that unorganic puts a dent in the argument. Like most things it’s doubled edged. Yes it can just be another fashion or fad but buying ethically slows you down, makes you think and opens up other non-shopping actions.
What intrigues me is the reaction of the anti anti-shoppers. Ethical shoppers really get to them. They accuse them of being elitist. The anger can be quite fierce. Is it because they are at least doing something; is that so annoying?
Look buying an Anya Hindmarch “I’m not a plastic bag’ for £25 on eBay to look cool is not exactly the epitome of ethical. And in theory you could buy more ethically than none and destroy more of the planet. But people who shop ethically mostly, but not always, don’t do it just to feel better about themselves and in doing it tend to consume less. The news this weekend that a Gap factory in Africa is a danger to children because of chemical waste should change our shopping behaviour. Even small boycotts hit retailers hard. Just as importantly we start to experience new pleasures if, for instance, we take more trains and less planes. And crucially we start to take back control over our lives. We dictate what and how we buy. A post consumer society will come from a whole lot more than buying ethically – but we have to start somewhere. Every little helps. So go on.
