It'd be great if saving the planet were as easy as changing our shopping patterns: Just buy the right stuff and you've done your part. The reality isn't quite that simple. As any environmental expert—and Chapter 3—will tell you, reducing consumption is the first and most important step in living an earth-friendly lifestyle. But nobody said that going green means depriving yourself. Just think before you buy, and consider where your shopping dollars are going. Support merchants and manufacturers that respect the earth as much as you do.
This chapter discusses some of the things to keep in mind when you shop and suggests good places to find the things you need. And because environmentally responsible shopping can get expensive, this chapter also covers more affordable options like thrift stores and homemade health and beauty products.
Globalization has made people realize that the world is smaller than it seems. We know that our actions can have a big impact on the planet as a whole, and many are treading more lightly to lessen their impact: buying green-living guides like this one, producing less waste, minimizing their carbon footprints.
One way to keep the whole world in mind when you shop is to support local businesses. What exactly is a local business? The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) defines it as a company that's mainly owned by people who live in the area where it operates. (It can be owned privately, by its employees, by the community, or cooperatively.) The owners are responsible for making decisions (unlike a franchise, where corporate bosses can overrule local branch owners), and there aren't more than six outlets in a state or province. Your own definition may vary, but AMIBA's is a good starting point; it emphasizes the local, independent nature of companies that deserve your support.
Why shop locally? Because local businesses:
Contribute to the community. Whether they make things, provide a service, or sell products, these companies create jobs in your area and pay taxes locally. They care about the quality of life in your city because they've invested time, money, and resources there. And the money you spend at such companies stays in your community rather than landing in the pockets of distant shareholders or corporate bosses.
According to the New Rules Project (www.newrules.org), for every $100 you spend at a local business, $44 of it stays in your community. When you shop at a franchise or national chain store, by contrast, only $14 of that $100 stays local.
Create diversity. If you're sick of walking into chain stores that look exactly the same whether they're in Topeka, Toledo, or Tampa, visit independent stores and restaurants. Local businesses cater to local tastes and choose products based on what the community wants, not on some corporate office's national sales plan.
Encourage entrepreneurship. Many people dream of owning a business, but that dream can't succeed without community support. And entrepreneurs aren't the only ones who benefit: According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small companies—not corporate behemoths—are responsible for 75% of all new jobs.
Enliven town centers. You'll often find local businesses in the heart of a town, rather than gigantic malls and big-box stores surrounded by acres of asphalt. When you shop downtown, you help to sustain vibrant, walkable town centers, and reduce sprawl, unnecessary driving, and loss of wildlife habitats.
Save you tax money. Because they tend to be in downtown areas, local merchants require less public infrastructure (that means fewer dollars spent on roadwork) and make more efficient use of city services (such as police) than big-box stores and shopping centers on the outskirts of town.
Because supporting local companies makes good economic and environmental sense—and improves the quality of life in your town—a number of groups have sprung up to promote them:
The American Independent Business Alliance (www.amiba.net) is a coalition of independent, locally owned businesses and people who support them. Visit its website to learn how to form an alliance or start a "buy local" campaign in your area. AMIBA also sponsors America Unchained and Canada Unchained, campaigns that encourage consumers to "unchain" their shopping for a day by patronizing local merchants instead of chain stores.
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (www.ilsr.org) has, for more than 30 years, supported community development that's good for the environment and equitable to all local citizens. Its New Rules Project calls for fresh approaches to politics and economics that put local communities first.
If you'd like to start a buy local campaign, ILSR can get you started. Go to its Big Box Tool Kit site (www.bigboxtoolkit.com), click "Build Alternatives to Big Boxes," and then download "How to Start a Buy Local Campaign."
The Organic Consumers Association (www.organicconsumers.org/btc.cfm) has a Breaking the Chains campaign that encourages consumers to be a force for change by supporting "organic, Fair Made, and locally produced products, and businesses."
All these sites are listed on the Missing CD page for this book at www.missingmanuals.com.