1.9 Debate the ethical and sustainability issues that arise from their consumption of goods and services and evaluate how they can contribute to sustainable development through consumer behaviour.
Ethical Consumer Sweatshop Fast Fashion
Sustainable Consumer
Carbon Footprint Excessive Consumerism
Fairtrade Circular Economy Black Market
KEY SKILLS
1. Explain what ethical consumption means and why it matters.
2. Outline reasons a consumer might choose to buy Fairtrade products.
CHAPTER L.O.
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3. Identify sustainability issues that arise from consumer choices.
4. Explain how consumers can make more ethical and sustainable choices.
5. Evaluate the problems consumers face when trying to be more ethical or sustainable.
6. Outline the benefits of shopping locally. INTRODUCTION
Every time you buy something, you make a choice. You choose what to buy, where to buy it, and how much to spend. But your choices affect more than just you. They affect the people who make the product, the communities they live in, and the environment.
A bar of chocolate is a simple everyday purchase, but the story behind it can be complicated. Who grew the cocoa? Were they paid a fair price? What happens to the packaging after you eat it?
In this chapter, we look at what it means to be an ethical and sustainable consumer, and why your choices matter.
84 CLASS ACTIVITY
Read each statement and decide whether it is True or False.
1. The people who grow the food we eat always earn a fair wage.
2. Buying the cheapest option is always the best decision for a consumer.
3. Throwing away clothing after one season has no impact on the environment.
4. Buying Irish-made products can help local businesses.
5. Some consumers cannot afford to make ethical or sustainable choices.