Ah, the holiday season. There is so much to love: decorating the tree, baking cookies, singing Christmas songs, and buying presents…lots and lots of presents. For many people, buying presents can be a bittersweet experience. We all love to make our family and friends happy by finding them the perfect gift, but it can come with feelings of guilt. Most toys and clothes are made in facilities that don’t treat their workers well. Or the manufacturing and materials used are harmful for the environment.
Feel like giving up and giving in? Don’t do it! Here are four reasons why buying sustainably made gifts will make you feel virtuous this holiday season:
1. You will be protecting the environment.
An eco-friendly product does not negatively impact the Earth. The production, use, and disposal does not harm the environment. You will be saving our planet!
2. You won’t contribute to unethical work practices.
It’s a sad reality most consumers want to spend less and buy more. This has directly impacted the treatment of workers. Sweatshop employees have to endure poor working conditions, long hours, and low wages. By supporting fair trade products, you can feel good knowing that the workers employed are treated well and compensated fairly.
3. You will send a message to companies.
As consumers, we have an enormous amount of power. Whenever we purchase a product, we are endorsing the company that manufactures and/or sells it. Send a message to companies who do right by the environment and their employees by purchasing their products.
4. You will be buying a quality product.
Sustainably made products are often higher quality than ones that are mass-produced. Clothing purchased at most mall stores are referred to as “disposable” for obvious reasons. You wear them for one season and then they fall apart and end up in a landfill. Sustainably made clothes are manufactured with care using materials that are built to last. Treat them with care and they will be in your closet for years to come.
At Green Orchyd, we support your desire to buy sustainably made Christmas presents and holiday gifts. Every item in our store is carefully selected and meets strict eco-friendly standards. Consider it our gift to you.
Wikipedia defines Eco-fashion as “part of the growing design philosophy and trend of sustainability, the goal of which is to create a system which can be supported indefinitely in terms of human impact on the environment and social responsibility. It can be seen as an alternative trend against fast fashion.” Ethical Fashion Forum defines Eco-fashion as “a broader term used for all clothing, fabrics and accessories that have been manufactured in an environmentally conscious way.”
But first, let’s delve into why the fashion industry, or more specifically, why fast-fashion is so destructive...
Do you ever wonder who made your clothes? Most of us, at least in the not so distant past, have visions of content people sewing or knitting our clothes, tanning our leather goods or even growing our cotton. Or, maybe we don’t think of it at all. The sad reality....
Although it’s a new year, we all think of the same old resolutions - losing weight, being more active, or improving our health in some small way. Looking for something new? How about shopping a little more ethically in 2018. With a big impact, it’s easier than you think. As with any resolution, the hardest part is getting started so we’ve compiled a list of our six favorite apps to get you on a more ethical journey this year.
