Ethical consumer?

I buy fairtrade where possible, and I don't face issues of ethics in animal products. Generally speaking, in terms of non-food items, I try to restrict my purchases as much as possible, simply because I think we need to move far, far away from the excessive consumption of products and resources that this society has embraced.

 

Kind of limited with what you can buy, with Food Stamps, when it comes to food and fluid.

But when it comes to other things, I usually just get what I need. So long as it looks sturdy and will pay itself back, I'm content. I could be more ethical, but see, ethical tends to be a lot more expensive, and I like my house, my car having gas, and my pack of Newports.

 

It's very important to me and that's one of the reasons why I avoid all Coca-Cola, Primark and Nestlé products.

 

I avoid not only the purchase, but consumption of any chocolate if I don't know where it came from. True that conditions in south america aren't great for the workers, but Africa's chocolate industry is abhorrent.

 

As a Union member I am Sworn to buy Union made products to the best of my ability. In all honesty, I'm pretty apathetic when it comes to this sort of thing.

 

I don't buy super market branded items, or cheap items.

 

Well Subway are a no go, I'm sorry but I wont eat Halal meat or meat that I know that has come from such animal suffering

 

Well, it also depends on why these decisions are ethical. It isn't as clear cut as it seems sometimes. So asking if I go out of my way to buy something like certified organic is a whole can of worms onto itself. And I don't fully stand with the anti-GMO folks who want GMOs banned from being certified organic, which makes the whole thing murkier when we can't agree on what is ethical when it comes to organic/GMO/etc. Especially when the organic cause has taken on a whole new form lately compared to what I remember when I was more on board.

Locally grown? I will buy local stuff to keep my local economy going, sure. Free range? Sure. Fair trade? Sure, although that carries some baggage like organics does, since you are relying on a certification body to do the footwork for you.

 

Whatever is the cheapest gets put in my cart.

 

I do try!
But for the moment I still eat cheese, at least untill i'll have enough money in order to be picky

 

It is somewhat important to me, but I absolutely understand how it isn't important at all to some people, especially people who are strapped for cash.

My parents always tried to buy organic when they could or buy things from a farmer's market, so I do that as well to some degree, I refuse to buy or eat veal, I prefer free range, and if something says fair trade, that's all good for me. I can definitely be a bit of a hipster sometimes.

 

Very much do. I always research and check packaging to make the best choices.

I always try to get free range meat. I stay a million miles from the barbaric Halal stuff. I also do my best to ensure I buy fair trade stuff.

Happy days.

 

I don't buy the food in my household, so the choice is not mine to make. However, my former colleague boycotted Nestle products, and for good reasons, so he told me. So I avoid Nestle when I can.

 

ya

 

I'm curious what makes you call Halal barbaric?

 

Like I used to spend the extra dollar on free-range eggs but then I needed that dollar for other stuff plus I don't know what the details on "free range" are like it may not actually be better, just a marketing scheme, so really I just don't even buy eggs much now ever in conclusion steal eggs from local eateries instead

 

I'm a vegan, I buy as many fair-trade products as I can, try to avoid corporate giants with poor environmental and human rights records, and make sure I don't break things after buying them.

The only major aberration is that I own some Apple products, a tax-evading company and rather sleazy as far as workplace rights go.

 

I try to purchase ethically when possible and avoid firms like Starbucks and Amazon who refuse to pay any tax in the UK, luckily soon that will come to an end.

The big issue is that it is hard to know which stores or products are ethical. The Co-Op and Fairtrade products are ethical, but what about lesser known stores? Do people know that Tesco treat their suppliers in a disturbing way? Or that Stagecoach Group owner is a homophobic?

 

Halal meat is generally prepared by slowly draining the blood of the animal first to kill it; the animal is conscious during this (as their throat is slit initially as well) and dies slowly. The same goes for kosher meat. There are some people who find this practice barbaric.