Being a good shopper

I think one of the main problems with our society today (if not the biggest problem, see the Story of Stuff video in my first blog post) is our consumerism. We have this need to buy lots of new things we don't need and it all ends up as waste, it wastes resources and energy to make, transport and to dispose of. These are resources that we desperately need. We need to try to conserve as much as we can not only to bring down greenhouse emissions that cause global warming but because most of these resources are finite and could run out in our lifetime! Also the people making these things right at the beginning of the chain usually lose out and we are making their suffering continue by continuing to follow this ridiculous obsession with buying new things and having the latest update. Our parents and grandparents didn't live like this so why do we? And they were probably a lot happier too. How can we ever be satisfied with our lives if we are constantly wanting to get something newer and better?

I'll admit I'm a guilty of this as we all are but here are my attempts at becoming a good shopper!

I've found this amazing website Folksy. It only sells handmade goods from small British businesses (usually just one person who enjoys making crafty things at home!) and many try to be as eco-friendly and organic as they possibly can. Many things are recycled or upcycled. Buying from businesses like these supports small local businesses rather than international corporate chains that create huge amounts of emissions and exploit third world countries. We can show these big businesses that we don't agree with their ethics by changing our shopping habits. It also saves money and resources wasted on shipping goods all over the world and avoids waste by reusing stuff! As you can probably tell I love this website!

Here is some jewellery I recently bought from Folksy (A fashion blog post for you, enjoy!):

Owl Necklace £7.50, Ring £3,  Varnished Wooden Book Necklace (Laser Cut by Hand) £11,  Japanese Bird Necklace £7.50. I felt I needed to update my jewellery collection as I haven't bought anything new for a long time.  I love the unique vintage look of these, exactly my kind of style and the handmade touch makes them far more special I think.

This is an vintage button turned into a ring. It's so cute! Waste not, want not!

There are also many other ways I try to be a greener shopper when I feel I do HAVE to buy something. Charity shops are actually brilliant. I get really excited when I see one! You can get really good quality things, sometimes almost new for a cheap price. You are reusing unwanted things, being eco friendly and giving money to charity. What more could you ask for?

Also remember to take your unwanted stuff to a charity shop instead of throwing it away!

I found these converses in an RSPCA charity shop earlier this year. I happened to want some new converses and there they were! They were basically unworn and in my size. Got them for £3.50. Brand new they would be about £25 or more.

Car boot sales are also brilliant places to go, another thing that gets me very excited! I have got so many things from car boot sales and sold stuff too. We need to reuse as much stuff as we can and avoid throwing things away. What's one man's rubbish may be another man's treasure!

I got all these DVDs from charity shops and car boot sales (I do have more but I left them at uni). The Wii game was pre-owned , there are so many used games, books and DVDs out there it makes no sense buying brand new. They work just as well as new and nobody's going to know you didn't get it new! My mobile phone is also secondhand so I thought I'd include that. It's old owner found it too complicated so I took it off their hands instead of buying a new phone! I should have included my ipod too as that is also secondhand from a friend who didn't need it anymore.

There we go my attempts at being greener and I hope I've encouraged you to follow suit. Try to go for green local small businesses or secondhand whenever you can whether it's car boot sales, charity shops or online. Ebay and Preloved are great secondhand websites and you can even get free stuff on Preloved. Now no excuses about not being able cutting down on your unethical consumerist ways!

Want to know more about being less of a mass consumerist? Check out the Postconsumers website.