A Beginner’s Guide to Mindful Consumerism

Written By Molly Bombonato
 
 


Why mindful consumerism matters
We take the power we have as consumers for granted. Companies spend billions of dollars a year trying to figure out what WE want, so let’s SHOW THEM by buying products and services that align with our values (Statista).

In the United States right now, most consumers say they’ll buy things that are more sustainable, but they don’t actually do it. Let’s fix this! And let’s start by creating a consumer mission statement…

 

My Consumer Mission Statement

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My Consumer Mission Statement 〰️

I strive to purchase products and services that are respectful to people and the environment, where every person in the supply chain makes a living wage and little to no harm is caused to the earth in the making of the product (or service) or at the end of the life of the product. 

How to develop and start a mindful consumer mission statement

  • Decide what you care about! What do YOU want to see companies doing?

  • Write it down!

  • Begin buying products and services that align with your mission (when financially possible!)

When we support good companies, more good companies will need to appear (or change their old ways) to supply our demand!

How to live by a mission statement
One step at a time. Develop a mission that works for you and begin to make changes little by little! It’s VERY challenging to be able to separate the good products and companies from the bad ones, but it’s worth the battle! Below are a few pointers to get started in various purchasing areas and I’ll expand more on each topic in future blog posts.

Overall, don’t beat yourself up for not being perfect. Celebrate yourself for trying!

  • Transportation – this is often one of the biggest culprits of an individual’s carbon footprint (since CO2 emissions are released from gas-powered vehicles and airplanes). It can also be hard to change depending on where you live, but it’s still good to think about if you can! The best forms of transit are…

    • Public transit

    • Biking

    • Walking

    • Electric, Partial Electric, or Hybrid Vehicles. If you don’t have enough to buy one now, start a savings account! There are much fewer emissions with these types of vehicles than compared with normal gas-powered vehicles and they are often cheaper over a lifetime too (NY Times). Also, the government has legislation to help you receive tax credits when buying eco-friendlier cars AND it has plans to add more electric car charging stations.

    • Carpool

  • Housing – energy use is another big carbon emitter for our homes and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is going to provide more incentives for making our homes more energy efficient starting in 2023 (like installing solar panels and buying energy-efficient home appliances)! Keep a look out for posts on this as more information comes from the government! In the meantime, you can start working or thinking to…

    • Source your energy from a sustainable source.

    • Use energy star appliances

    • Use LED light bulbs

  • Food –

    • Being Vegan = the Ultimate Goal. “The meat and dairy (farmed livestock) industries account for 14.5% of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions.” Choosing to eat vegan – even just some of the time can make a huge difference (BBC).

    • Certified Products: If companies have received a legitimate certification, their practices are being checked by a third party to verify their statements. Some certifications to look for are the fair trade certification, the rspo certification (sustainable palm oil), or the rainforest alliance certification.

  • Money – we don’t often think about it, but our banks and investment institutions could be using our money to support businesses and causes that we don’t believe in. To fix this….

    • Bank at an institution that aligns with your values and not ones that contribute to climate change (Rainforest Action Network).

    • Invest Sustainably: Work with a financial advisor to create a sustainable investing portfolio through impact or ESG investing.

 

Molly Bombonato