TAKE ACTION ON SPENDING

Where we choose to spend our money is crucial! It reveals our values and principles. After all, most of us spend far more than we give or save.    

Ethical Spending

Ethical spending looks behind the product we buy, to consider how it was made, and the impact on the planet, on communities and individuals.

The value of UK ethical spending is now worth £30 billion a year, according to the Co-operative Bank’s annual Ethical Consumerism Report.  The latest report shows that spending on ethical products is growing fast. Ethical Consumerism in 2005 increased by 11 per cent year on year, compared with an increase of only 1.4% in UK household expenditure. More people are buying more things ethically, and that's good news!

What counts as "Ethical Spending"

In the end, ethical spending is a personal decision.  The kinds of issues that people might consider under ethical spending include :

Buying Fairtrade goods which ensure those involved in the manufacture are given a fair wage.
Choosing organic products in the supermarket.
Switching to a green energy supplier, or installing energy-efficient electrical appliances and lightbulbs
Not buying chocolate or other products which have depended on child slavery in their manufacture
Choosing locally produced products to avoid food miles, and supporting local communities. 

Ethical spending is not cheap! Considering the impact of what we buy is likely to lead us to a different decision from simply being motivated by the cheapest price in-store.