Using the Consumer Dollar to Create a Sustainable Economy

by Susan Singh (Ghana, 63-65)

   How can you and I make wise choices with our consumer dollars?  If we are lucky enough to make $20,00 annually, we might well spend one million dollars during our lifetime.  How can we spend it in ways that will create the kind of world we want our children to inherit?
    There are many ways to approach this question.  In recent years our understanding of environmentally sound products and processes has grown.  There are several popular new approaches to redesigning production processes from conception to recycle/refurbish that are very promising.  In general green products are made from recycled content and/or designed for reuse or recycling.  They are also hopefully non-toxic, energy efficient and durable.  But sometimes the way to meet your needs does not involve looking for a green product, but instead rethinking what exactly it is you need and want and how that can be most creatively and sustainably attained.
     One of the new approaches was developed by Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert, a Swedish cancer doctor, called the Natural Step, it posits four conditions that must be met to move toward sustainability:
1.  Substances from the Earth's crust must not systematically increase in nature.
2.  Synthetic compounds must not systematically increase in nature.
3.  The physical basis for the productivity and diversity of Nature must not
be systematically deteriorated.
4.  There must be fair and efficient use of resources with respect to meeting human needs.
     In Sweden, many companies have adopted the Natural Step, e.g. Volvo, IKEA, Electrolux, and Scandic Hotels. In Germany, Dr. Michael Braungart, has developed the Intelligent Product System, (IPS) which is guiding Germany's visionary new environmental legislation on industrial processes and products.  IPS divides products into three types: Consumption products which are released directly into the environment through normal use.  These products must be completely biodegradable and nontoxic. Service products are goods that provide ongoing services, like automobiles, television sets, and computers.  Under the IPS system, such goods are not owned by the customer but are leased from the manufacturer, which is responsible for the products ultimate disposal/recycling.  An example would be the U.S. company Interface which leases carpet tiles, replacing them as needed, recycling the worn tiles into new ones.  German law requires manufacturers to take back and recycle most product packaging and encourages much innovative design among German manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz. Unmarketable products are those that cannot be consumed or used without producing unacceptable levels of toxicity and for which no adequate recycling technology exists.  Such things as PCBs and atomic waste would fall into this category.  They are for the time being stored in carefully managed "waste parking lots" at the manufacturer's expense.
     Co-op America, a longtime advocate for green businesses, has analyzed household spending in the U.S.  All of us buy groceries, eat at restaurants, buy clothing, shop at general stores, home improvement stores, spend money on car repair, lawn care, entertainment, and health care.  If we shifted even a portion of that monthly spending to green goods and services, while continuing to reduce, reuse, and recycle, a strong impetus would be given to a sustainable economy.
     Wholesome food can be found at farmer's markets, Community Supported Agriculture local farms (CSA), community and backyard gardens, and health food stores and coops.  (To find a CSA near you call 717-264-4141)
     A green restaurant uses no styrofoam products, has a comprehensive recycling program, uses non-bleached products and products with high recycled content, reduces
waste, packaging, and energy and water use, and uses safe cleaners. 
     To find green clothing, first look for used products, maybe exchange with friends or attend garage sales.  If you want to buy something new look for items made of organically grown natural fibers, or recycled materials.   
     New fashions in landscaping encourage us to choose plants native to our area that can be grown without herbicides, pesticides, inorganic fertilizers, and weekly mowing.  Even better, grow something edible (for you or wildlife) as well as beautiful.  If you want or need a lawn, it can be maintained without chemicals by cutting the grass longer than usual (about 3 ½ inches) and leaving the trimmings on the ground to mulch and decay into lawn food.
     As the landscaping revolution mentioned above illustrates, often making green choices requires reflection and creative choices, rather than just simply replacing a polluting product with a green product.  Maybe, as in that example, you will no longer need to buy lawn care products at all, but will put the money saved into purchasing native species for your yard.  Or you might want to join a gardening club and trade plants with members.
     Consider your lifestyle, your expenditures, and how you can slowly bring your daily choices into line with your values.  It is easy to be overwhelmed with how much needs to be changed so proceed slowly one area at a time, or find friends who will serve as a support group and inspiration to each other in moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle one step at a time. When you do need to buy a product, Co-op America publishes National Green Pages annually to help you locate green businesses.  Or check out the websites following this article and order products online that are not available locally.  It is of course much preferable to buy locally, thus supporting local businesses and avoiding unsustainable long distance transportation  and packaging.
      Ask the merchants you do patronize to carry green products.  I told my neighborhood grocer that I bought most of my produce at a health food store that carried organic produce.  He said he
Didn't carry it because it was too expensive.  I said I was willing to pay more in order to support sustainable agriculture and avoid toxins in my diet.  I still haven't seen any organic produce there, but at least now he knows he is losing one customer.
     Another piece of information that may be helpful if you find yourself in the position of choosing between similar products in the eco-label.  More than 25 countries now offer some form of environmental labeling.  The most established program is Germany's Blue Angel, founded in 1978 it is now affixed to more than 3000 products.  In the U.S., the Green Seal appears on many household products, including paints and cleaners.  By analyzing products' life cycles and impacts on the environment, Green Seal develops standards for different product categories.  If a product meets the standard, it is eligible for the Green Seal and will signal consumers that it is superior to other products in that category from a sustainable viewpoint.  There are also many specialist eco-labels such as the Pacific Rivers council's Salmon-safe label, Mothers and Others for a Livable Planet"s CORE
Values Northeast (CVN) labeling program, the Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program, and EPA's Energy Star label.
      Eco-labels and green businesses can help us as consumers make well informed choices when we need to buy a product.  They are not a substitute for careful reflection on our deepest values and how we can bring them into our daily lives.  Those involved in cultivating voluntary simplicity have learned from experience that those who are able to make the transition from overconsumption to voluntary simplicity have deeply held values that they are able to bring into their lives and work.  Creating a life that is more sustainable than the typical consumer driven lifestyle is often worth the effort and time it takes, simply because such a life usually offers more true peace and contentment.  Peace Corps volunteers have already volunteered two years of their lives to improve the world.  Learning to become a conscious consumer requires the same sort of spirit and willingness to envision new ways of living.