This document discusses the importance of thinking ethically before making purchases. It notes that we should consider not just the direct cost to ourselves, but also the costs to the planet, workers, and our own morals. For clothing and food, most of the profits go to retailers, while producers and farmers often work in poor conditions for low wages. Fast fashion and intensive farming have significant environmental impacts as well. The document provides tips for more sustainable shopping habits and lists websites with information on ethical brands and initiatives.

1. THINK BEFORE YOU
BUY
W E A L L S H O P B U T H OW M U C H D O W E
T H I N K A B O U T T H E C O S T

2. DO YOU KNOW…
W H O M A D E I T, W H E R E I T WA S
M A D E … A N D H OW M U C H I T C O S T
W H A T W A S T H E L A S T
T H I N G Y O U B O U G H T ?
T U R N T O T H E P E R S O N
T O Y O U R R I G H T A N D
A S K T H E M

3. …AND THAT’S NOT JUST THE COST TO
YOU!
• Cost to the planet
• Cost to you and that’s not just your money
- Are you sacrificing your morals by buying without thinking?
• Cost to the workers

4. W H O PAYS F O R T H E
L OW P R I C E O F T H E
C L OT H E S W E
W E A R ?
Only 1 – 3% of the end price of
the t-shirt you wear is given to the
producer
Over 90% of our clothing is made
in the developing world.The
waterways and environments of
the worlds poorest countries is
affected by the bi products of
clothing production
Workers in developing countries
work under poor working
conditions and for low wages to
produce the clothes we buy

5. HIGH STREET BRAND VS PRODUCER
PRODUCER GETS
3P IN EVERY POUND
HIGH STREET BRAND GETS
97P IN EVERY £1
A £10 PURCHASE IS SPLIT £9.70 TO 30P
THE PRODUCER HAS GOT TO PROVIDE PREMISES, LABOUR
AND MAKE A PROFIT OUT OF 30P!

6. …THE FACTS BEHIND FAST FASHION
 80 Billion new garments are produced worldwide every year
You may think these are all in your wardrobe or ironing pile
 2 Million tons of textile in landfill every year
 It takes 10,000 – 20, 000 litres of water to make one pair of jeans!
 500 grams of pesticide is used to produce a single cotton t-shirt. Globally we purchase
1 Billion t-shirts.…and that’s just t-shirts!
 A t-shirt can take up to 200 years to Bio degrade!

7. W H O PAYS F O R T H E
L OW P R I C E O F T H E
F O O D W E E AT ?
As UK Supermarkets battle to win
market share they tempt us with
more and more low price offers
and BOGOF offers
“More than half of the UK’s food
and feed now comes from
overseas, which is burdening
poorer countries with the related
environmental impact”,The
Guardian

8. THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THE FOOD
PRODUCTION
FoodWaste In a World where so many go hungry, this CAN’T BE RIGHT!
Uncontrolled
environmental impact
causing Ocean Dead
Zones, Deforestation
Animal cruelty
Food miles contributing
to polluting green house
gases
Exploitation of workers
Runoff from farms into the sea kills coral and destroys the
homes of thousands of species. Large areas of forest are cleared
for livestock grazing
At least half our food in the UK has had to travel from abroad
to our plates!
Farmed animals produced an astonishing 6 billion tonnes of
greenhouse gases in 2016.Approximately 18% of global
emissions.
Children, the elderly and unprotected workers in poor
countries spread pesticide and work in back breaking conditions
to produce the food we eat
Intensive farming methods and the mistreatment of animals is
constantly in the press
Let’s not even mention
the effect of animal feed
and fart production

9. GUIDE TO ETHICAL SHOPPING
UNCONSCIOUS BUYING
ATTITUDE
• You’d never believe how cheap this is. It
was so cheap I got two!
• Zipper broken, button missing, bin it.
• New season, new look
ENGAGING AN ETHICAL
MINDSET
• Reduce – Do I need it? How long will this
item last me? Is this made locally?
• Recycle – Can someone else use my
unwanted seconds? Can I buy something I
need second hand?
• Repair – Can I mend and make do?
• Reinvent – Can I repurpose all or a part of
this item?

10. DO THESE PICTURES REPRESENT THE
WORLD WE WANT?

11. D O W E A S D E C E N T
H U M A N S WA N T TO
I D E N T I F Y W I T H
B R A N D S W H O
Exploit children and
support modern
slavery
Have unfair working
practices and
conditions
Pollute the
environment
Put profit before
people

12. HOW TO CHANGE
YOUR HABITS Develop a closer relationship with the food and clothes you
buy. Put quality over quantity.
 The things you buy are a reflection of who you are. Ensure the
brand you buy support your values.
 Do research into the brands you buy.
 Look out for brands who support initiatives like Fairtrade, use
Organic Cotton or are accredited to any of the symbols
shown below. Usually found in the footer of their website.
 Buy locally sourced food and clothes and support small ethical
businesses

13. Get involved:
Fashion Revolution is promoting a social media campaign to get brands to tell consumers about the ethics of
their brand.
http://fashionrevolution.org/
Change.org is promoting a petition to Sainsbury’s to keep the Fairtrade Mark on their own brand tea.
https://www.change.org/p/sainsbury-s-don-t-ditch-fairtrade
Learn more:
Selflessly provides information on how to tell if a brand is ethical
http://www.selflesslystyled.com/blog/how-to-tell-if-a-brand-is-ethical-or-not
The GoodTrade provides info on ethical clothing brands and a useful starter guide on how to shop ethically.
http://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-clothing
Watch this video for five tips to being a more ethical shopper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7K5H9uSHHI
Great blog by Wendy who describes her blog as a green lifestyle blog.You'll find all sorts of thrifty and easy
hints and tips for living a greener life that won't compromise your sense of style.
ETHICAL SITES ON THE INTERNET

14. Learn more:
KTO promotes the use of organic Fairtrade cotton and supports cooperatives who produce
this kind of cotton. Businesses can add their logo to a KTO t-shirt safe in the knowledge that
the supply chain is monitored and people are treated and paid fairly.
https://knowtheorigin.com/pages/seed
Informative article exploring how the emissions from farm animals can be lowered by using better
technology and feed.The last section explores the question should we eat less meet.
http://theconversation.com/to-reduce-greenhouse-gases-from-cows-and-sheep-we-need-to-look-at-the-big-
picture-56509
ETHICAL SITES ON THE INTERNET

15. THANK YOU &
REMEMBER TO
T H I N K B E F O R E Y O U B U Y