How To Be More Ethical In Your Everyday Life
It’s incredible - and a bit scary - to think just how far our actions can reach and what impact they can have, good and bad, on the world around us. That’s why it’s so important to think carefully about what we’re doing, and to act as ethically as possible at all times. This might sound difficult, but you can do many things in your daily life that will make you more ethical and improve the world around you. With that in mind, here are some of them to get started with.
Choose Cruelty-Free Products
If you wear any kind of beauty product, this is a hugely important thing to do that won’t take much of your time, but that will help the world massively. When you’re buying new products, make sure you buy cruelty-free ones. It’s really that simple - and the information will be on the label so you can be completely sure you’re doing the right thing. Opting for something like vegan tan means you won’t be supporting businesses that test on animals, and the more this happens, the less they’ll produce, which is the ultimate goal.
Buying cruelty-free products is a great thing to do, and it should always be in your mind when you go shopping, but why not go the extra step and make sure the packaging is eco-friendly as well? It won’t take long to check this, and you’ll be reducing waste, which is a positive thing to do.
Support Local Businesses
Another way to live more ethically is to support local businesses when you can, rather than buying from larger businesses. When you buy from your local suppliers, you’ll reduce the carbon emissions that would come from transporting and delivering the goods, plus you’ll be supporting the local economy, which means more money going back into the place you life and work, making it a better area all around.
As well as this, remember that smaller, local businesses will usually offer more unique items and artisan products, so you’ll be buying things that are different from what everyone else has, giving you the chance to enhance your home or life in just the way you want to, rather than buying the same things that everyone else does.
Practice Ethical Fashion
Your clothing can be a big issue when it comes to being ethical for a wide range of reasons, so if you make a commitment to being more ethical when it comes to fashion, you’ll be playing a big part and doing a lot to help.
One way to be ethical with your clothing is to specifically buy from brands that prioritise ethical labour rules and use sustainable materials. You can also make sure you don’t buy fast fashion, but buy clothes that will last instead. Plus, when you want to throw something away, think again; could you upcycle it or make it into something else (t-shirts can become shopping bags, for example)? Could you donate it? Could you compost it (you really can compost clothing, if it’s made of organic material like linen or cotton)? Do anything you can and make throwing the item in the trash the very last resort, and you’ll be much more ethical in your choices.
Reduce Meat Consumption
Reducing your meat consumption, or even turning to a completely plant-based diet if you want to, is a very ethical thing to do, and although it won’t suit everyone, it’s definitely the right way for a lot of people to go.
If you eat less meat, you’ll be pushing towards a more positive impact when it comes to animal welfare and the impact the human race has on the environment, so it’s definitely a good thing to try. You can start small by participating in meatless Mondays to begin with, and move forward from there if you want to. Even if you stick to just one day a week, that’s a great thing to do and is certainly better than nothing.
Make Mindful Travel Choices
You might not think that travelling and being ethical are two things that can work together, but there are things you can do that will make your travel choices much more positive ones. Thinking about your mode of transport is a great place to start - flying is bad for the environment, and driving your car isn’t great either (unless it’s an electric one, of course), so why not try something else - where could you travel by train, for example? The possibilities are limitless once you start working out routes.
You can also investigate any accommodation you might be thinking of staying in to make sure that it’s eco-friendly. The more people who do this and make ethical choices, the more places will start to put eco-friendly practices in place, protecting the planet in the process.
