How Your Needs and Wants Can Impact on Others and Society
Every time a consumer buys a good or service, they are influencing what is produced. If people demand more of a product, businesses will produce more of it. This means our choices can have positive or negative impacts on others and on society.
Positive impacts of your consumer choices
Fairtrade
Buying Fairtrade products helps ensure workers and farmers are paid fairly and are not exploited.
Negative impacts of your consumer choices
Pollution and waste Buying cheap or disposable goods can increase waste and pollution.
Shopping locally Buying Irish goods and services helps support local businesses and jobs in Ireland.
Paying tax When we buy goods and services,
tax (such as VAT) is included in the price. This tax is collected by the
government and helps pay for services like schools, hospitals, and roads.
Second-hand and re-using goods Buying second-hand items or re-using goods instead of buying new helps conserve resources and reduces environmental damage.
Fast fashion Fast fashion involves
buying cheap clothes that do not last and are quickly thrown away, adding to environmental damage.
Worker exploitation Some goods are produced using child labour or poor working conditions. Cheaper prices can sometimes mean workers are treated unfairly.
Transport and the environment Imported goods often travel long distances. Transporting goods across the world
increases fuel use and pollution.
Buying counterfeit goods Buying fake or illegal goods (such as counterfeit jerseys or dodgy boxes) avoids tax payments and harms legitimate businesses.
CLASS ACTIVITYINTRO ACTIVITY
Key Skill: Understand how realising your needs will impact on individuals and society In your groups, identify three goods you or your family buy that have positive impacts, and three goods that may have negative impacts on others or society.