Inflation is causing many consumers to feel like they’re in a constant battle between their wallet and their conscience. On the one hand, they want to save money. On the other hand, they want to save the planet by purchasing eco-friendly goods. And if you can relate, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a way you can be kind to both your budget and the Earth.
Before diving into solutions, let’s talk frankly about why this conundrum is happening in the first place. Typically, “green” products come at higher price points than their less environmentally friendly counterparts. Whether the difference in price is subtle or substantial, it gives some people pause — and maybe a little heartache. After all, as one study from 2021 showed, 85% of consumers have been pivoting toward more sustainable purchasing. But it can be tough to justify spending more in the moment.
Yet, spending more might be just what’s necessary to beat back climate change and the new weather patterns happening across the globe. Unless we can get our collective carbon emissions under control, the average global temperature is on track to soar by almost eight degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, per NASA. If you’re still not convinced that this is a problem, The New York Times comments on communities being relocated from the coasts. The U.S. is earmarking $75 million to save people from a problem we’ve helped create.
Of course, we’re not just the problem. We can be the solution, too. By lowering the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, we could halt rising temperatures and make life better for future generations. The primary way to do that is to make purposeful changes, including investing our dollars into eco-friendly products.
How to Balance Your Finances and Ethics at the Checkout
The answer to what seems like a conundrum involves reframing the way you think about buying a cleaning product that’s certified green or paying a little more for locally sourced organic produce. Below are some ways that you can ensure you make better decisions at the checkout that will benefit you fiscally and morally:
- Know that off-the-shelf eco-friendly products routinely match the performance of their non-eco-friendly counterparts.
A group from the University of California, Berkeley campus conducted an experiment not long ago that measured the efficacy and toxicity of green cleaning products. Not surprisingly to those of us in the cleaning product industry, greener options worked well without exposing users to potentially harmful chemicals.
This isn’t to suggest that all off-the-shelf cleaning products (or other sustainable products) are going to work perfectly. However, it’s worth doing some tests of your own. Many consumers are pleased to realize that they’re not losing any effectiveness by purchasing from green brands. Plus, they might have to use less if the product is more potent. In that case, they end up buying replacements less often and spending less than they originally thought.
2. Realize that buying sustainable items usually means buying sustainable packaging.
Innovative packaging tends to go hand in hand with eco-friendly products. Browse the household cleansers and laundry aisles. Look for products with the USDA BioPreferred logo or that say they’re made with post-consumer recycled content. You’ll find items that use little or no water to make, come in powder pod or packet forms, or are available as soluble sheets.
This creative delivery method helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions because every package is lighter. Therefore, it requires significantly less fuel to ship the products where they need to go.
3. Learn more about how long recessions and inflationary periods typically last.
We all know that the climate crisis has been a long time in the making and could last many centuries. In contrast, the recession will be a temporary blip on history’s radar. According to a statistical analysis from Capital Group, the average lifespan of all recessions from 1950 until today was 10 months. That pales in comparison to what will surely happen to the planet if we all don’t reduce our carbon footprints right now.
Fortunately, it’s not hard to reduce your carbon footprint one step at a time. Little by little, buying organic and sustainable ensures that whatever you consume or use will put less pressure on the planet and its limited resources.
By all accounts, the next 10 years will be critical. Will we avoid a major global climate crisis? Or will we put the future of humanity in jeopardy? As consumers, we all need to pay attention to our money situations. Yet, we don’t have to choose between saving cash and saving the Earth. Buying eco-friendly products can make sense and save cents in the long run.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock