Ethical Consumerism

Ethical Consumerism What is ethical consumerism? Ethical consumerism is the purchasing of products and services produced in a way that minimizes social and environmental damage while avoiding products and services having a negative impact on society or the environment (http://www. scribd. com/doc/19589310/Contract-Law). Ethically made products are those that are produced with the least harm to the environment, animals, and humans. There are four types of ethical buying. The first one is positive buying as in energy saving light bulbs.

The second is negative purchasing which is avoiding products that disapprove of, such as battery eggs or gas-guzzling cars. The third one is company-based purchasing. You choose whether or not you support a company based on what it produces. The last one is the fully-screened approach. The fully-screened approach is a combination of the first three. When purchasing products or services the consumer should consider the quality of the product, the conditions in which the products produced and if any harm is caused to the environment.

When items are sold at really low prices, it should make the consumer stop and think, “Is this really a bargain? ” How consumers spend money influences social and economic justice, the environment, animal welfare, and democratic freedoms. As consumers, we have an ethical obligation to society. As consumers, we should only buy products that are safe to use or healthy to consume, In order to do that, we must not buy from companies that exploit humans or animals maintain and increase social poverty, inequality and deprivation (http://www. atheistnexus. org/group/consumerethics).

We must identify companies that value their employees and customers, pay fair wages, and provide a safe and healthy work environment, and maintain sustainable business and environmental practices and practice positive buying. Positive buying is favoring ethical products, and businesses that operate on principles based primarily on benefit for the greater good rather than self-interest,allowing for business self-interest only for the perpetuation of doing general good outside of self (http://knowmore. org). Moral boycotting is another way to help society.

Moral boycotting is the practice of avoiding or boycotting products which a consumer believes to be associated with unethical behavior. Reasons for boycotting would be factory farming, harm to the environment, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, and low wages. Boycotting can damage reputations and cause a loss in profits. If we are a socially responsible organization, you would think people would prefer to buy from us than a company who isn’t socially ethical. As consumers, we have the power and must take responsibility for this power by making informed and empowered choices in the products we purchase (http://www. mallsimplelife. com/2009/09/dont-sweat-the-big-stuff/). We must be positive consumers, and use our buying power to influence the effects consumerism has on the living planet. References (Ethics and Consumer video [Video file]. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://library. uco. edu ) (http://www. scribd. com/doc/19589310/Contract-Law) (http://www. atheistnexus. org/group/consumerethics) Small Simple Life : Positive Impact with Ethical Consumer … (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. smallsimplelife. com/2009/09/dont-sweat-the-big-stuff/