5 Ways to Be a Conscious Consumer

5 Ways to be a conscious consumer

There are a lot of terms in the sustainability movement nowadays: Veganuary, eco minimalism, fast fashion, the list can go on, but there’s one term that I love more than the rest, and it’s Conscious Consumption. Being a conscious consumer, to me, is understanding your power as the consumer. Knowing that your buying (or not buying) behavior casts a vote toward the society you want to live in.  Another way people say this is by “aligning your purchases to your values.”

So this “conscious consumption” movement is all about thinking before you buy. It’s about making a conscious choice before you make a purchase that could potentially have a better impact socially or environmentally.

*This blog post is in partnership with OEKO-TEX®. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

OEKO-TEX® is a traceable product label that verifies a product has been tested for harmful chemicals and uses sustainable and ethical practices in production. I love the clarity that OEKO-TEX® gives consumers about products and I’ll talk about them more later in this post. And since OEKO-TEX® is trying to help consumers make better choices for their health and the environment, I thought it would only be fitting to talk about how to be a conscious consumer. 

Think Before You Buy 

Overconsumption is a huge part of the problem when it comes to pollution, so simply buying less already makes you a more conscious consumer. 

Euro News states that “Overall consumption needs to be reduced rather than just being ‘greened’ by switching to supposedly sustainable products.”  

One of the easiest ways to avoid buying in excess is to simply think before you purchase something. I like to ask myself if I’ll still like this item in a couple of years, if I have a similar item at home, or if this item is easy to buy second-hand. Another way to avoid impulse purchases is to implement a buying rule. It could be to wait one hour, 24 hours, or even a week before purchasing something you want. If you still want this product by the end of the time restraint, you’re good to go! This rule helps reduce impulse purchases and helps us save our money for the things we actually want. 

Dig a little deeper 

It is all too easy to support brands that have unfair working conditions and unsustainable production practices. And not to mention brands are greenwashing left and right to fit in with the sustainable movement. But if you have the time, looking into a brand that you want to buy from can help you figure out if this is a business you want to support or not. Which leads me to OEKO-TEX®:

OEKO-TEX® is a traceable product label that shows where the components of a product were made and how they were made. This label ensures sustainable practices within production and that these products are made in socially responsible working conditions. Their label is here to make sure that the products we use are better for our health and the planet. 

Keep your eyes open for this green tag and you’ll be able to learn about the product’s journey to the store with so much information provided. Here is an example to look at:

Buy Quality Over Quantity

Buying quality is another way to lessen the stress on production. If we buy quality items and take care of them, then these products have to be replaced less often. The quote I live by is “buy less, choose well, make it last.” 

Try Second Hand 

Shopping second-hand is becoming easier and easier with apps like Poshmark, ThredUP, FaceBook Marketplace, and Thrift Books. Shopping second-hand when you need something is such a simple way to avoid waste and to save money. Some of my favorite things to buy second-hand are books, furniture, name-brand clothes, and appliances. 

Celebrate the Small Wins

The internet seems to make the sustainability movement so black and white. You either use plastic, or you don’t. You support only ethical brands, or you love fast fashion. I’m here to tell you that making simple choices that are a little better ethically and sustainably is better than making none at all! We can’t show up perfectly because it’s impossible to, so we might as well own being imperfect and celebrate the small things we do to be a better conscious consumer. 

I would like to thank OEKO-TEX® for sponsoring this blog post and for giving us consumers the confidence to support brands who care for the health of people and the planet we live on. To learn more about OEKO-TEX® and their traceable product labels, click here!