Early thoughts on sustainable consumption

Many feel that information is lacking

The following responses indicate that people need better information and want to see governments and businesses stepping up to the plate:

“I try to live and buy with sustainability in mind, but I think there is much more that can be done by governments and leaders to ensure manufacturers, retailers and businesses help consumers to make the right choices and make living sustainable and the norm.”

“I make a concerted effort to ensure where possible that products and services meet the definition, but often there is not enough information to compare products and services.”

“I try to consistently consider sustainability in my decision process for the products and services I consume. I am prepared to pay more for locally sourced products and prefer to support local suppliers, rather than larger national and multinational companies. I know I can do a lot better. One of my recent concerns is the legislation regarding the production and transport of livestock as a result of Brexit. My understanding is that under EU regulations we had high standards in food production, which I get the impression are being watered down in compromises we are having to make to sign new trade deals. I think it’s naive to think that consumer power can dictate to the retailers and suppliers. I will be looking closer at the country of origin for things like meat and fish, but that only covers retail products. What restaurants use will be a great deal harder, if not impossible to establish.”

People are acting and thinking about consumption:

“Primarily [I buy] second-hand clothes, use chemical-free cleaning products and personal care, [and have a] vegan diet. But still there are plenty of products that I struggle to find sustainable alternatives for. For example, eg smartphones and other electrical goods, building materials and home decoration. It feels good to make changes to your life to become more sustainable, but it is easier to make changes in some areas, such as washing powder, than others.”

“I rarely buy goods. I keep products for as long as I can. I prefer asking for and giving experiences rather than goods as presents.”

“I recycle, buy odd box vegetables, use shampoo and soap bars, use recycled toilet paper and washing machine eco sheets.”

“I know I have to look at diet and whilst I cannot see myself becoming vegetarian, I need to try to increase the plant-based meals that I consume. Maybe somebody can think up a marketing strapline similar to ’Fish Friday’ to encourage consumers to move their diet; ’Plant-Based Tuesday’ is not snappy enough! One area I do struggle with is flying. I do like foreign holidays and to be honest, historically this is only limited by budget, rather than concern for the environment.”

People face other challenges, including convenience and cost:

“We normally try to choose the more sustainable option when it comes to food, travel or other types of consumption. But there are factors we cannot influence, or have to make a less sustainable choice due to a very poor cost-benefit ratio or time-cost ratio. For example an 8 hour train journey versus a 5 hour car ride.”

“I work in the field and make an effort to do the right thing, but still knowingly do unsustainable things like eating meat or fish. Even with good knowledge I sometimes find it difficult to make the right choice as I am aware of the nuances too, for example, being clear whether coconut oil is a good alternative to palm oil due to land take.”

“I’m vegan but still consume unsustainable things, like food with palm oil in, excessive plastic, choose next day delivery and shop fast fashion.”

“I live on an island where we import all our consumable goods from the USA so choice is limited.”

Feeling stressed and guilty

“I tend to have more of a common sense approach rather than being informed. It would be good to remove some of the stress and guilt involved in making decisions to replace or upgrade consumables. Also, I’m not sure the onus should be 100% on the consumer either, retailers need to be part of the picture and know what the options are for customers that select their products.

Ocki: Although we are in the business of information, there is a lot to be said for common sense, especially when you are trying to counter the excesses of consumerism. Why wait for outcomes of detailed studies before deciding some obvious choices – especially if that choice is to avoid a purchase altogether? On the question of stress and guilt, it is true, somehow consumers have been made to feel bad or at fault when it comes to sustainability. We think some of this stems from a frustration over the difficulty in making good choices because of businesses’ failure to provide easily accessible and meaningful information to consumers. 

If you haven’t taken the survey yet, you can find it here. If you want to share specific actions you have taken that have been effective and made you feel good, or if you have a view on what businesses or governments should do, please get in touch using info@ocki.co.uk.