The Consummate Consumer

It is time for all of us to take responsibility for our power as consumers. When we purchase an item, we are declaring our approval of it, therefore supporting and endorsing the business that will continue to produce it. Let’s exercise our consumerist ways to make great change. The way we purchase pushes manufacturers to improve their sourcing, process and product.

You may consider yourself a savvy shopper, an educated buyer or even a consummate consumer. You are already part of the movement to buy local. You read most food labels, or at least, most of the label. You shop at farmers markets. You even pay attention to product packaging. Do you also apply this logic to purchases for your home?

Eventually, all products will be packaged with a life cycle assessment, or LCA label: where the product is sourced (raw material acquisition), how it is produced (process and production), its use, re-usable options, maintenance required for it to perform well and end of life (waste management).

Until we have that transparency at our fingertips…

Close your eyes and imagine a home that speaks to you. As you sit in this imagined space, how does it feel? What does it smell like? With what products do you choose to surround yourself?

Take your imagined space to the next level by selecting your purchases with that same care. Infuse your home with healthy materials sourced, created with care and skill, within our region.

Look for the product’s origin. Buying local is fantastic, and yet buying local is not enough.

Look further into the product chain. Where is the product sourced and manufactured? Do not be afraid to ask your local merchants these questions. If your local store is buying the product from halfway across the world, are you really buying local? Not yet. You are simply shopping local.

Select materials and furnishings for your home not because they are popular or signify status, but because they make sense for you. The items within your home reflect the person who resides in it.

Let’s shed the old definition of the consummate consumer (keeping up), instead let’s ask more questions and gain access to product data, only then can we make informed choices. Together, we are redefining who the new American consumer is when we wield our power knowledgeably. We will all benefit from understanding what we are purchasing. Consume with care.

#homeessentials