Tell me something About Responsible Buyer.
How many times have you picked up an eco-friendly product from the shelves while browsing through stores, recoiled at the price, and put it back instantly?
It might not be one of your proudest moments, but this experience is something that most of us share. We have all been in that position. We’ve found higher priced sustainably produced materials among the regular ones. And we’ve picked the regular one almost every time.
Don’t worry, this is not going to be a walk of shame.
Instead, let’s spread some awareness about sustainable products and why they are so expensive.
Why Are Eco-Friendly Products More Expensive?
Let’s debunk this mystery once and for all.
Why is it that a bamboo toothbrush costs 4 times as much as a plastic toothbrush? If sustainable consumption and eco-friendly products are so important, then why are they not more popular or accessible?
It all ties into the way eco-friendly products are manufactured.
Let’s take for instance, one of the ambassadors of sustainable products — Phool. Phool’s rise to fame — the flowercycled incense made from temple waste — is the epitome of recycling.
It has taken years of research by experts to optimize the method of metamorphosing the waste flowers generated by temples into rich and musky incense cones. If you consider the sunk costs involved to set up this enterprise, let alone the operational costs, you will arrive at a sizable figure.
In comparison, you can set up an agarbatti manufacturing unit at a fraction of the cost.
Sustainable production is always more expensive. If it had been cheaper, then everybody would have produced sustainably and the looming threat of global warming would have dissipated in a puff of smoke.
It is cheaper to substitute fresh produce with chemicals. It is cheaper to continue with conventional production patterns than to invest in research and development. Sustainable products prioritize the environment and not the producer’s bottom line.
The price disparity will always be there. It is rooted in fundamental differences.
Why should you look past it?
If you’d like to know more about another ambassador of sustainable products, check out the story behind Eco Kaari!
Why Do We Need-Eco Friendly Products?
Let me put it this way.
We should ideally aim to get to a point where all the products available in the markets are eco-friendly and sustainably produced. That is the level of consumer awareness we should aspire for.
Baby steps, though.
Let’s start with a sustained demand for sustainable products.
As can be expected, millennials show the highest propensity to opt for sustainable products. According to a survey by Rakuten Insight, 75% of consumers in the 35-44 age group would be willing to pay more for sustainable products. When it comes to the rest of the age groups however, the figures are on the lower side. It is only through awareness about the importance of sustainable consumption that we can hope to boost the figures.
We need the continued efforts from the companies producing sustainable products and the users of such products to take to the social media channels and rave about their experience. Share your reviews and your recommendations with your family and friends, and encourage them to join you in the light.
Because there isn’t any other option for us.
As responsible human beings, we all have to make the switch one day. Sustainable is the future. There is no fighting it. The only choice that we have is to decide how much more damage we want to inflict on this earth.
Who Is A Responsible Buyer?
Someone who has made the switch.
A responsible buyer is someone we should all hope to emulate. They have embraced the lifestyle, and have taken the pledge to prioritize the environment. They follow a sustainable way of life.
So what exactly does that entail?
Well, there are several different layers to sustainability. The more you explore, the more you understand.
The first layer is the surface of the iceberg. Most of us have dipped our toes into this layer to test the feel.
This is where you make the choice to buy the eco-friendly product instead of the regular one, and you feel pride in yourself. You start to notice plastic and paper wastage all around you. Maybe you even start carrying your own shopping bags to the grocery store.
The second layer goes a lot deeper. Sustainable consumption becomes a habit for you, and not just an occasional quirk. You pore over the labels of the food that you buy. You start opting for organic produce. You even start recycling!
Now, we can stop here, and you will still be a responsible buyer. You will have fulfilled your part of the responsibility and you can rest guilt-free.
But the thing is, if you’ve already come this far, sometimes it’s hard to stop. Your mind keeps ticking and turning over practices that you’ve taken for granted all this while.
The third layer is when you embrace the sustainable lifestyle fully. You opt for solar energy and you set up a rainwater harvesting system in your home. You start growing a few vegetables at home. You’re vocal about your beliefs.
A responsible buyer exists on all of these layers.
You can still be a responsible buyer without making big life changes. All you need to do is keep consuming sustainably and keep supporting the small sustainable companies.
Well, guys, that brings me to the end of my blog. Baby steps. Let’s take some baby steps to change the future.
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