Christmas is a time for giving and sharing, a time to spend with family and friends but it can also be busy and stressful with so many items on our to-do list.
I’ve created some tips and suggestions to help you help the planet and the workers who are making the gifts you are giving, so we can all have a sustainable and stress-free festive season.
I came across a guide called the Ethical Hierarchy of Gift Purchasing, by Just Little Changes, and I thought this is a useful tool for all of us. I’ve added a few of my own suggestions too!
1. GIVE MEMORIES – days out, memberships and event tickets.
2. GIVE GENEROUSLY – collectively give to a charity, it really makes the whole family feel good. Check out Peter Singer’s project, The Life You Can Save, for recommendations on the best charities to donate to for the giving season.
3. GIVE YOUR TIME – share your skills amongst loved ones, elderly neighbours and those less fortunate.
4. UPCYCLE – get creative, refinish small furnishings and repurpose old toys.
5. BUY SECOND HAND – check out your local Op Shop, eBay, Gumtree and car boot sales.
6. MAKE YOUR OWN GIFT – pickling vegies are so on-trend. What about relishes or spicing up some mixed nuts and popping them in a nice second-hand jar from your local Op shop?
7. ETHICAL BUYING – support non-profits like Oxfam, Trading Circle, Fairtrade and small start-ups that offer great social and environmental products and have ethical philosophies.
8. BUY LOCAL – check out your local markets for handmade gifts.
9. Last but certainly not least, when buying be a CONSCIOUS CONSUMER.
CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS
The last thing most people focus on when purchasing their gifts is, where has it come from, is it environmentally preferable, was there any child or forced labour involved in the manufacturing of this product, and are the workers getting paid a living wage?
WHICH RETAILERS FAIR BETTER?
There are not-for-profits and NGOs that are dedicated to helping shoppers buy with greater awareness of how retailers manage their suppliers, eliminate poor working conditions and protect against the exploitation of factory workers.
There are a couple of great websites and guides that can help you make more ethical and thoughtful decisions. Check the list out here!
BAPTIST WORLD AID – End worker exploitation!
Each year, Baptist World Aid publishes a series of industry reports through it’s Behind the Barcode project. The Ethical Fashion Report and the Electronics Industry Trends Report seek to help Australians shop ethically and, by doing so, advocate with their wallets.
Between them, these two reports assess more than 400 brands operating in Australia and around the world. The reports grade those brands on the strength of the systems they have in place to protect workers in their supply chain from exploitation, forced labour and child labour.
Workers should be protected and not harmed. Workers deserve to work in dignified jobs, without being exploited. And workers deserve to work free from the tyranny of modern slavery but for this to happen, we need to be consumers that care.
Your support means more companies will be held accountable for their actions to protect their workers.
SHOP ETHICAL – Your consumer guide
The Shop Ethical! Guide draws into one place information on the environmental and social track record of the companies behind common brands. They rate the companies from A to F and assess them on areas of environmental and social impact, treatment of animals and accountable business practices.
You can download the app or you can buy the guide. They have a search function and a whole heap of listings for appliances, clothing, electronics, food, drink, household products, personal care, pet supplies, retail products, toys and even office supplies.
GOOD ON YOU – Fashion without harm
Trusted ethical ratings in the palm of your hand. Good On You ethical brand ratings give consumers the power to make choices that match their values – choices that reflect consumers’ commitment to doing better by people, the planet and animals. They believe brands should be transparent and, as a consumer, you have a right to know.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2019