How Shopping Sustainably is Good for Your Wallet and the WorldAs Plastic Free July comes to a close, it’s time to consider how we can continue its mission into August and beyond. If you’re new to conscious consumerism — the idea of cutting out plastic or seeking eco-friendly options can be daunting. Most of us have good intentions to live green; in fact, McKinsey and Co. found that 87% of shoppers are concerned with the social impact of what they buy. Sadly, only 33% report feeling knowledgeable and ready to buy eco-friendly, ethical products. What stops us from following through at the checkout counter? The payout is prolonged, but if you shop right, you’ll only have to buy once. The first barrier is a lack of awareness: where to find these products or how to identify the actual impact of the company producing them (Toasting Good’s most recent blog can help with that). However, once shoppers discover an ethical, eco-friendly product, the higher price tag becomes a big barrier. We’re all human. It’s difficult to think about long term savings when comparing prices in the moment…but let’s look at the math. In Your Closet:
Forever 21 jeans may seem favorable over ABLE’s price tag, but cheaply made clothes have a shorter lifespan, contributing to 11 million tons of textile waste produced by America each year and making it less cost effective over time. Fast fashion is also the culprit of unsafe, sometimes fatal factory conditions and unlivable wages. Meanwhile, ABLE employs women overcoming hardship, in a safe environment and pays above fair wage. In Your Kitchen:
Reusable alternatives last a lifetime and pay for themselves after just three to five boxes of Ziplocs. After 5 years (1/day), you’ll have saved $55 and 1,825 plastic bags from our oceans. In Your Bathroom:
In less than 3 years (1/day) the price evens out, saves 1,000 cotton rounds from landfills and you never have to buy them again! After 10 years, you’ll have saved $72.64 and 3,650 disposable cotton rounds. The payout is prolonged, but if you shop right, you’ll only have to buy once. Plus, Business psychology suggests the more you spend on something, the more often you use it and treat it with care. Over time, each sustainable switch saves you countless dollars. Even if you currently don’t have the means to invest in these items, or live in an underserved community with few retail options, there are still ways to live more sustainably! Clean and reuse plastic bags, repurpose old clothes, buy secondhand goods and use toasting good’s gift guides to find responsible products online. By shopping quality manufactured goods and ditching single-use plastics, you’re telling companies that sustainability is in demand and profitable. As a customer, you have power to create change. By shopping quality manufactured goods and ditching single-use plastics, you’re telling companies that sustainability is in demand and profitable. Over time, those buying choices cause a ripple effect encouraging wide scale corporate change from the bottom up. (Plus, you’ll get some real change back in your wallet). Switching to a sustainable lifestyle is absolutely possible, just take it one swap at a time! Here are a few eco-friendly products we love from social enterprises in the Social Enterprise Alliance community.
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So What is a Social Enterprise, anyway?Social enterprise, mission-driven business, sustainable business, impact-driven business, ethical business — these are just a handful of terms you may have heard as business as a force for good is on the rise. While the split between profit-driven businesses and do-good business used to be rather cut and dry, there are more and more companies that seem to be operating in the grey area.
So how do you determine if a business is worth supporting with your hard-earned dollars or if they are just using impact as a marketing ploy? Here are several areas where businesses are making an impact — and what to look out for. Employment & LaborPeople are at the center of most businesses, and therefore an impact model should likely factor in the people involved in the company and beyond. This can look like many different things: employing underserved or vulnerable communities, channeling the profits into training programs for underserved populations, or even upping the standards for employees in sectors, like fashion, where workers are notoriously underpaid and employed in unsafe conditions. It can also mean amplifying the message and work of populations that are often overlooked or underrepresented, like The Citizenry, which curates and features artisan-made home goods. Of note, it doesn’t have to be a big company employing lots of people to be relevant to this conversation, I love supporting small, women-owned businesses like Coco Bakes, an LA-based company that thoughtfully produces gluten-free and allergen-friendly baked goods. |
When I am evaluating if a brand is sustainable,...I dive a layer deeper than the marketing lingo used on the company’s homepage. |
When I am evaluating if a brand is truly sustainable, ethical, or mission-driven, I always like to dive a layer deeper than the marketing lingo used on the company’s homepage. Asking questions, digging into employment, sustainability, partnerships, logistics, and more will allow you to determine if a brand is making an impact. And no brand is perfect — if you are selling a product, you are likely making an environmental impact. Rather I focus on the values of the brand and if they are genuinely pushing the industry forward in a positive way, with clear goals on how to continue building towards a more sustainable and just future.
To browse more social enterprises making waves in employment opportunity, sustainability and circular partnerships check out toasting good’s brand directory. Here are a few products we love from social enterprises creating impact in the areas Sara’s shared above:
SoapBox Soaps: For every soap product purchased, Soapbox donates one bar to a community without access to basic hygiene tools.
Greyston Bakery: Greyston operates on an Open Hiring policy, making it possible for those who face traditional barriers to employment to find meaningful work.
MPOWERD solar light: MPOWERD is committed to making renewable energy usage widely accessible. They also donate a significant amount of product to communities rebuilding after natural disasters.
Greyston Bakery: Greyston operates on an Open Hiring policy, making it possible for those who face traditional barriers to employment to find meaningful work.
MPOWERD solar light: MPOWERD is committed to making renewable energy usage widely accessible. They also donate a significant amount of product to communities rebuilding after natural disasters.
Welcome to The Review: A blog by toasting good
In the last 10 years, we’ve become more digitally connected, aware of social movements and had more access to world news than ever before.
We have better language to describe the inequalities we see in our society, we have more knowledge about the systems that contribute to social challenges and we’re aware of the hardships underserved communities face.
As a result, we now live in a society where the majority of millennial consumers would rather buy products from businesses with a social stance, the CEO of the largest investment management company in the world is calling on business leaders to care about their impact and high schoolers are organizing marches to support environmental action.
Public demand for social change is on the rise.
Yet, one could argue that with all this awareness and good intention, we are struggling under an information overload.
We care about these social issues, we want so badly to be the change we want to see in the world, but we don’t know where to begin or how to keep up with social impact conversations.
Take shopping ethically for example. There are so many brands out there and it’s often difficult to tell who is truly doing good and who is just doing good “cause marketing.”
Finding solid, trustworthy brands often requires hours of personal research before the stars align and we find that business with the quality essentials we want and the mission to back it up.
Then, there’s the ever-evolving conversation of human justice and the fight for a more equitable world.
As our understanding of social issues grows, language adjusts, terminology changes, the focus shifts and so do the solutions. Even with the best of intentions, when you care about doing good in the world it can be tough to discern where to begin.
That’s where toasting good comes in.
Toasting good is an online platform powered by Social Enterprise Alliance to celebrate all things social enterprise. We created this platform as a dedicated space for putting the spotlight on social enterprises and connecting you with their products.
You may have seen our social enterprise gift guides Holiday Gift Guide, Mother’s Day Guide or the Valentine’s Edit. (We even have a Father’s Day Guide you can still shop, if you’re a procrastinator like me.) We do the work of carefully sourcing and curating products for each of these guides from social enterprises, making it easy for you to find the essentials that you need while supporting social change at the same time.
Now, we want to do more. We know that voting with your wallet is only one way to affect change. So, in addition to connecting you with products you’ll love, we want to inspire you to create change through your daily actions and discussions.
Introducing The Review, a blog by toasting good!
The Review is a blog and newsletter created to clear up the information overload, answer your questions and provide practical steps you can take to start making an impact in your everyday life.
Backed by SEA's 20-year history in the social impact industry and featuring writers with experience starting their own social enterprises, consulting for Eileen Fisher and writing for Forbes and Acumen, you can trust The Review to deliver well-informed and authentic content.
We have better language to describe the inequalities we see in our society, we have more knowledge about the systems that contribute to social challenges and we’re aware of the hardships underserved communities face.
As a result, we now live in a society where the majority of millennial consumers would rather buy products from businesses with a social stance, the CEO of the largest investment management company in the world is calling on business leaders to care about their impact and high schoolers are organizing marches to support environmental action.
Public demand for social change is on the rise.
Yet, one could argue that with all this awareness and good intention, we are struggling under an information overload.
We care about these social issues, we want so badly to be the change we want to see in the world, but we don’t know where to begin or how to keep up with social impact conversations.
Take shopping ethically for example. There are so many brands out there and it’s often difficult to tell who is truly doing good and who is just doing good “cause marketing.”
Finding solid, trustworthy brands often requires hours of personal research before the stars align and we find that business with the quality essentials we want and the mission to back it up.
Then, there’s the ever-evolving conversation of human justice and the fight for a more equitable world.
As our understanding of social issues grows, language adjusts, terminology changes, the focus shifts and so do the solutions. Even with the best of intentions, when you care about doing good in the world it can be tough to discern where to begin.
That’s where toasting good comes in.
Toasting good is an online platform powered by Social Enterprise Alliance to celebrate all things social enterprise. We created this platform as a dedicated space for putting the spotlight on social enterprises and connecting you with their products.
You may have seen our social enterprise gift guides Holiday Gift Guide, Mother’s Day Guide or the Valentine’s Edit. (We even have a Father’s Day Guide you can still shop, if you’re a procrastinator like me.) We do the work of carefully sourcing and curating products for each of these guides from social enterprises, making it easy for you to find the essentials that you need while supporting social change at the same time.
Now, we want to do more. We know that voting with your wallet is only one way to affect change. So, in addition to connecting you with products you’ll love, we want to inspire you to create change through your daily actions and discussions.
Introducing The Review, a blog by toasting good!
The Review is a blog and newsletter created to clear up the information overload, answer your questions and provide practical steps you can take to start making an impact in your everyday life.
Backed by SEA's 20-year history in the social impact industry and featuring writers with experience starting their own social enterprises, consulting for Eileen Fisher and writing for Forbes and Acumen, you can trust The Review to deliver well-informed and authentic content.
Meet Our 2019 toasting good Contributors:
On The Review, we discuss the social issues you care about, highlight the businesses creating solutions and demystify living consciously (because what does that mean anyway?).
Want to be more eco-friendly but need to keep it budget-friendly? We’ve got recommendations.
Interested in ethical fashion, but not sure what it means or how to spot it? We’ll clear it up.
Need a crash course on social enterprise and why it matters? We’ve got you covered.
Whether you’re an ethical fashion fanatic, avid social impact supporter, interested in social justice or just curious about this “conscious living” stuff, The Review is here to inspire you to create change with your daily actions, whether by changing your purchasing decisions or just shifting your lifestyle habits.
So be the first to know about new social impact insights, product recommendations and updates by following our new account on Instagram, our blog on Medium and subscribing to our newsletter!
Authors
Mirah Alix
Carmen Dahlberg
Karen Mac
Sara Weinreb
Mikaela Clark
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