The good consumer

Whether or not we care about the ethical questions and environmental impacts of our consumption is something everybody has to decide for themselves. For some people it is not an issue at all and they flock in hordes to Primark, a high street retailer, known for the awful work conditions for their labourers in far-flung countries. Others shudder at the thought of walking into a high-street store and count on ethical and/or organic clothing stores such as the Braintree Hemp Store in Camden Lock (http://www.camdenlockmarket.com) or trendy shops like the Brokedown Palace in London (http://www.thebrokedownpalace.com). I want to focus on the environmental aspects that one who cares about a green lifestyle, should consider. Is it really that difficult to source environmentally friendly everyday items and are they really always completely overpriced? How can we make sure that our consumption pattern is not the cause of endless amounts of waste, but more a part, a link in a healthy and sustainable life cycle?

Nouveaus, Winter 2015 Issue. Source: blog.gls.de

Cradle-to-Cradle

I have to be honest, the idea for this post came while I was browsing through the German magazine nouveaux (http://www.noveaux-mag.com/), a great magazine that deals with vegan fashion and a green lifestyle, full of useful information and interesting articles. In their Winter 2015 issue they have an article on exactly this topic: how to create a system in which the cradle-to-cradle idea is implemented and enables consumption without wasting resources. In an ideal scenario, throwing away a garment or any other item, would not mean the end of a life cycle but it would be its beginning. That is exactly what the cradle-to-cradle idea stands for - a holistic framework that allows waste free consumption. In order to generate waste free products, the material used needs to be organic and compostable, exemplified by the Change-Collection launched by the fashion retailer Trigema in Germany (http://www.trigema.de/en/cms/Trigema-Change/). The collection includes t-shirts for women, men and children, made of 100% bio-cotton which are fully compostable. Another example is the trendy Swiss brand FREITAG who made a big impact on the fashion scene with their colourful and robust bags made of old truck tarps, bicycle inner tubes and discarded seatbelts. They have now developed their own material in order to meet their aim to produce items that are fully biodegradable and came up with the F-ABRIC (http://www.freitag.ch/fabric). A tough, sustainable and fully compostable material. 

F-ABRIC trousers by FREITAG. Source: 

http://consciouslysartorial.blogspot.com

It would be an exaggeration to say that this is the new trend, however today's shoppers can be described as more conscious in terms of ethical sourcing and environmental issues, something, that the market picks up on. Unfortunately we are looking at rather hefty price tags compared to your high street retailers, with the Change-Collection's 100% bio cotton shirt by Trigema selling at 38 Euros (£28) and the F-ABRIC pants costing a whopping CHF 280 (£163) with a T-Shirt made from the same compostable material going for CHF 80 (£54.30). It is understandable that not everyone can afford to be "that" ethical and environmentally friendly when it comes to garments. And becoming part of the cradle-to-cradle approach might be something reserved for people who have enough cash left over at end of the month and are okay with splashing out £163 on pants. 

For everybody else who cares about these issues but does not have the necessary funds to leave a small footprint as possible on the environment, there is always the possibility to dedicate themselves to eco-efficiency and try to consume less and more sensible, and do check out the possibility to bring back your unwanted clothes to H&M where they are happy to take anything, even if it is not from their shop. You even get a £5 voucher for doing so! Or drop them off at a Oxfam shop and they will give you a £5 for M&S. Flea markets and second hand shops are real treasure troves too. 

There are also websites dedicated to ethical shops such as  the good trade (http://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-clothing) where you find affordable, trendy and sustainable shops such as Kuyichi (https://www.kuyichi.com) who allow you to see where the product was made, and by whom. 

Buckley T-shirt made of organic cotton at Kuyichi. Price: 24.95 Euros (£18.37).
Source: https://www.kuyichi.com/

Whatever your situation is, there is always a possibility to make your own small contribution and lessen the impact our consumption pattern has on the environment, and ensure fair and secure working conditions for the people who produce the clothes. Walking into the next high street store might be the easier solution and also less harsh on your wallet, but doing a little bit of research will allow you to do something good without it costing the world. 

The cost of eco-friendliness.

The general public has become increasingly aware about environmental degradation, climate change and the effects it has on this planet and coincidentally, or not, an environmentally friendly and sustainable lifestyle seems to go hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle. So by eating healthily and by employing the rationale that everything that mother Earth produces is best consumed in its rawest form, with as little processing as possible, the planet is suffering less from our food consumption. However, even though it is well known that eating more veggies and less meat (especially less processed meat since it is apparently as bad as, and now hold your breath, SMOKING, as we recently learnt), there is a general notion that this form of healthy and sustainable lifestyle comes at a cost. A cost that most people are just not willing to pay. I want to look at what the real costs of a healthy and green lifestyle are and whether it is still reserved for the upper class and hipsters working in art and media.

Whole Foods

The pinnacle of organic and healthy lifestyle is probably the green supermarket chain Whole Foods. However, it became the victim of ridicule a couple of months ago, after it tried to sell asparagus in water. Yes, you read that right. They put asparagus in bottled water and if that is not bizarre enough, they charged a whopping $6 for each bottle. 

If you want a chuckle, watch John Oliver's take on it:

As mind boggling as Whole Foods' apology is, that they 'mistakenly' put asparagus in bottled water, they obviously do have other rather outrageously expensive and strange products on their shelves, as we just saw. This raises the question, does it have to be like this? Do we really have to buy honey for $80 if we care about being organic, artisan, healthy and eco-friendly and supporting fairtrade?  

Is Whole Foods for example really that much better than let's say Aldi - or its American version: Trader Joe's? “If you were to shop at Aldi today, you would find almond milk, organic coconut oil and chia seeds because that’s what our customers are looking for,” Joan Kavanaugh, vice president of Aldi corporate buying, told MarketWatch. So, the types of food that are popular among the health conscious folks are not so exclusive anymore. But what about the eco-friendliness and sustainability factor? Let's look at Aldi's website. Right next to the 'About us' link, they have the section about 'Responsibility', and upon closer inspection, they do cover all the areas that are generally considered to be the major points of concern for environmentally conscious shoppers. From their stand on Palm Oil use to the range of organic products that they offer and which all carry the label by the Soil Association and their No GM policy, Aldi does address all of them. 

Whole Foods vs Aldi

But how about the middle price segment which is somewhere between Aldi and Whole Foods such as a trusted high street brand and Britain's pride and joy Marks and Spencer. Just like Aldi they have their responsibility (named Plan A) link right on the landing page right next to About Us. And that page is packed with information about responsible sourcing, supply chain control, work in the community etc. Again, it does look like they take their responsibility in terms of sustainability and eco-friendliness quite serious. 

I get the feeling that the majority of the people who shop at Whole Foods and are willing to pay these ridiculous prices do so firstly because they can, secondly, because they do believe that the product must be of better quality because of what it costs (some people are that gullible, really, I have met them), and thirdly shopping there is not just shopping, it is probably an experience and gives them the feeling of being part of a particular group of people. A group that is well off and even if you would hold all the available ecolabels and certificates ranging from the Rainforest Alliance to Fairtrade under their nose, they would still rather shop at Whole Foods. Pushing your cart down the brightly lit aisles of Aldi with all its rather boring looking shelves and big yellow price labels, past the piles of pyjamas and tool boxes that are on sale, is probably less enthralling than experiencing the fancy and stylish shop interieurs offered by Whole Foods. 

Whole Foods, more than just shopping - it is an experience

By Infrogmation of New Orleans (Photo by Infrogmation) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

ALDI in Germany and honestly it looks exactly the same in every other country.

"Aldigang" by Kira Nerys at the German language Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aldigang.jpg#/media/File:Aldigang.jpg

Conclusion 

So to answer my initial question, NO, we do not have to spend one month's salary on 'granola that is being blown back and forth between two fans', just to quote from Oliver's video that describes the level of sheer absurdity of Whole Foods. If you shop wise and do some research, you can buy groceries that is affordable and does not use harmful ingredients, has an audited supply chain and is also healthy for you. Or go to your local farmer's market. There are plenty here in London. But my own personal caveat is that the focus is too much on consumption. There seems to be the notion that if you consume this or that, you do good. But what about our everyday actions, such as commuting, working, holidaying and other lifestyle activities? Buying a Prius and shopping at Whole Foods will not solve the issue and it is alienating a whole demographic that can simply not identify itself with the set of behavioural patterns, the level of wealth and lifestyle that is being propagated if we simply argue, healthy and sustainable lifestyle is defined by what we consume - and only if it is expensive can it be good. 

Of course, it is one own's personal decision to live a greener lifestyle, however if that lifestyle feels so far removed from your own reality, it is hardly an option worth to be considered. I would argue that we are too hung up on consumerism than on actually engaging people in hands on activities and focus on education that could add so much to a greener future.