Conscious consumption aka "buying shit"

It’s overwhelming! Conscious consumption, sustainable shopping, slow fashion, green gains (okay I made that last one up) - but there is a lot of alliteration and fancy vernacular out there surrounding this general topic nonetheless.

I mean.. sandals made out of recycled tires? Leather made out of mushrooms? Bubbles that clean polluted air? Adaptogen* drinks that donate a portion of profits to mental health organizations? Yes, another trick, only some of these things exist currently, but nevertheless, I have high hiiigh hopes for a clean-the-air-bubble-party in the near future. (Can someone get on that? The bubble thing. One of my chemistry nerd friends? Mel?)

*A lot of people ask me what adaptogens are when I drink Moments, so I’ll define: adaptogens are “adaptogenic” substances (i.e. herb, plant extract, food) - that help the body adapt to stressors. Basically, stuff you consume to help your fragile human body exist better!

In a chaotic world increasingly flush with devastating climate change and social justice news, it’s no wonder people want to be more intentional about their spending, and companies are taking note of how to make less of an impact on the planet and do better by people.

Today, 87% of consumers said they’d purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they cared about, and 76% of consumers believe that companies have a role to play in social justice concerns, including climate change.

I like to think this stems from one of Einstein’s quotes: ​​“Those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act.”

Sure, our ego-driven want for more and better has been propelling our culture of overconsumption and materialism for decades, but as it turns out, lately our values are increasingly dictating our purchasing decisions, too.

We see this blatantly with the success of apparel brands like Patagonia and Allbirds. Patagonia has been around for just shy of 50 years, which is an impressive lifespan as far as outdoor brands go. Many think this is overwhelmingly a result of their re-focused business strategy in 2008, where their former CEO pledged to heavily invest in sustainable design. Since then, Patagonia’s revenue has grown by over 500%. Even with marketing like the infamous “don’t buy this jacket” campaign, people are willing to shell out for Patagonia gear. (Yes, hi, I’m people.)

On the other hand, Allbirds has only been around since 2016 and went from a one-product Kickstarter to a 1.7 billion valuation in 2021. Allbirds became a certified B Corp in their first year, and immediately committed to a long-term strategy of creating quality sneakers with sustainable materials (merino wool and eucalyptus tree fibers). The idea that sustainable business is good business is epitomized by Allbirds' success, and now they’ve expanded to offer multiple lines of clothing apparel alongside at least 7 different types of sneakers and shoes. As it turns out, sticking to your values and positioning your products with the planet in mind creates pretty stellar brand affinity.

Okay, blah blah blah, acknowledging that some of that^ gives off major “I love companies! Yay capitalism!” vibes and I just need to clarify: No. But also, yes, because I appreciate brands actually giving a rats ass about the planet and treating their workers right. That said, not buying shit is always better than buying new shit. But what about buying used shit? Okaaaay now we're talking.

A couple of solid “rules of thumb” (side note: gotta look up where the phrase ‘rule of thumb’ came from later) is:

• Used is always better than new

• If you’re buying new, research the brand before you buy and if you can afford it, pay more for better quality (sustainable sourcing, ethical labor, long-lasting, etc)

When I say “research” I mean literally, type it into Google - or better yet, Ecosia (a search engine that literally plants trees). See, we’re making an impact already!

If you’re curious, a good watch on this topic is the documentary The True Cost - it goes into the human rights and environmental impacts of inexpensive labor, cheap materials, and unethical production practices. Especially as the holidays come up, consider gifting (or shopping for yourself #TreatYourself2021 #ParksAndRecForever) more sustainably this year!

This holiday season, consider...

Trying not to:

• Buy from Amazon, Walmart, or other big-box corporations. Their CEOs make an egregious amount of money while their workers suffer. Stop supporting them if you can. (If you want to dive deeper on this topic, watch Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price & Amazon Empire)

Dabbling in a bit more of this:

• Local stores & artists

  • Vintage stores & street pop-ups (Denver: check out Garage Sale)

  • Small artists (find via Etsy or Instagram)

  • Find small businesses near you highlighted on local publications (i.e. some in Denver)

• Sustainable brands

  • Research yourself or check out websites that highlight them like The Good Trade

• Gift a social activity or tickets to an event

  • SoFar Sounds (local live music at an undisclosed location until 24hrs prior)

  • Botanic gardens visit

  • Holiday pop-up bar

• DIY gifts

  • Shower vapor disks or bath bombs

  • Candles

  • Sugar scrub

  • Essential oil perfume

  • Macrame plant holder

• Curate a gift

  • Tea party (vegan snacks, teas, thrifted tea cups, sustainable blanket, used wicker basket)

  • Spa day (face masks, clean nail polish, etc)

• Thriftbooks.com

  • Used books, good prices, nuff said.

• Thrift clothing & apparel online

  • Depop (my insanely creative and queen-of-aesthetic best friend Meg’s is pictured above)

  • ThredUp

  • Poshmark

• Thrift anything online (make sure to filter by *used)

  • OfferUp

  • Facebook Marketplace

• Plants

  • Find local plants for sale on thrift apps

  • Easy houseplants that improve air quality

  • Shop at a local plant store

  • Grow your own herb kits

• Bulk teas, herbs, etc

  • Try your local refill shops

  • Gift inside mason jars or other high-quality reusable containers

• Reusables

  • Sandwich bags, glass straws, travel silverware set, picnic basket set, paper towels, coffee mugs, water bottles

Once you choose your gifts, get creative with wrapping sustainably! You can use would-be-waste like newspapers, shoe boxes, package cushioning, etc. or put your gift inside of a reusable container itself. Think: wicker baskets, jars, linens, I don’t know, what else do you have lying around? Sure, use that.

The reality is, we live in a consumer society. It’s inevitable that sometimes we’re going to be sucked into “buying shit” - whether it’s for a holiday tradition, to celebrate a loved one, or just because we WANT to! But considering the impact buying shit has on the world, why not try a little harder to consume more consciously?

P.S. I looked up the ‘rule of thumb' thing. Makes sense. *thumbs up*