Impact of Ethical Consumerism on the Environment - Term Paper Example

WHAT IS THE REAL IMPACT OF ETHICAL CONSUMERISM ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE INDIVIDUALS WHEN BUYING GREEN GOODS? Insert Insert name of unit Insert date of submission Abstract This report investigates the increase in ethical consumerism, its impact on the environment and the factors that influence individuals when considering ‘green goods’. The research was carried out by review of records pertaining goods bought and questionnaires about the opinion on goods preferred and the perception of the goods not prepared. The report draws conclusion that ethical consumerism and the factors that influence individuals to consider green goods include relative costs, benefits and the ethics of each individual. This report also provides recommendations and measures which should be undertaken to ensure positive ethical consumerism and improve consideration of ‘green goods’. Introduction Ethical consumerism is a personal allocation of finance, which includes value for consumption and investment, whereby choice is inherent for particular purposes whether personal human rights, justice, the surroundings or even for animal welfare (Co-operative Group,ECRA, 2010). Ethical consumerism is also known as ethical consumption, green consumption or ethical shopping. Green goods are a term used to refer to products whose production ensures economic development and at the same time promotes a pollution free environment for the benefit of future generations. Market for green goods has been increasing but still much effort has to be taken to ensure that green goods attain a stable market and also eliminate fluctuating prices due to changing preferences. Green goods are not only beneficial to the environment but also provide the body with nutrients. A good example is that organic milk gives more omega-3 fatty acids more than what is offered by convectional milk. Buying of green products means that less harmful gases will be released to the environment. Most green products also are bio-degradable which means that the will not pollute the environment unlike plastic bags. Buying fresh products also insinuates reducing packages and the cost of packaging. This will lead to reduced use of plastics thus less pollution and also more reserved funds which can be used in other beneficial economic activities. Most of the applications which people apply on the skin should be more organic to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals which enter the body through its biggest organ; the skin. Buying of green products implies supporting the local market through consumption of organic products produced by organic agriculture thus improving on the total usage of green products which conserves the environment in the long run. Ethical consumerism can be improved through communication strategies like advertising and communal education on the importance of consuming green goods rather than convectional goods and their diverse effects on the environment while reminding on the dangers posed to the environment. This study’s main aim was to identify the prevailing situation pertaining the consumption of goods, the rate of ethical consumerism and the various factors which influence individual’s choice when considering consumption of green products. Once the aim of this study was achieved the objective of this study was to highlight the factors which influence consumer choice on the type of goods to be purchased so as to show the extent to which they differ and what measures can be undertaken to improve ethical consumerism. Method Design This study is characterized by data and graphs which give a support to the inherent arguments which are provided and discussed. Themes and subthemes also may appear in the study with a sole goal of analysis of the matter at hand which is ethical consumerism and the factors that influence individuals when considering green goods. Thus the discussions provided are both of quantitative information and also of qualitative information. Making contact This study is based on research into different reports whose data was taken from different places on ethical consumerism and what affects consumer’s choice when considering organic products and in the process providing the consequences for negative and positive ethical consumerism. Discussions also take two approaches. This includes qualitative data analysis and quantitative data analysis. Measures are also analyzed so as to ensure an increase in consumption of organic products. Research process The study also combines the utility of questionnaires which were handed out to respondents. The questionnaire constituted of both qualitative and quantitative questions. Use of open ended and close ended questions was also evident. The main aim of the questionnaires was to find out general information such as age and gender and consequentially inquiring on what factors influences them when considering green goods. The data was then classified into clusters whereby the classification was made according to the similarity of the information collected. After collecting the data, analysis of the statistical data using statistical tables, charts and graphs is also provisional. The qualitative data is best discussed using different themes which create thematic discussions aimed at helping assess what is happening concerning ethical consumerism and the different perceptions of it. Ethics The respondents were approached and they signed forms of approval such that they would respond to the questionnaires voluntarily. The participants were also free to stop participating in the activity at any one point in time and their choice whether to take place or not were highly regarded. The information collected in a respondent free environment and it was clearly stated that the information collected would not be published and would remain confidential. Participants personal details were also to be kept as secret and they were assured that taking part did not involve any risks. Results Graph 1 The above graph 1 shows the age and the number of people who participated in the research. The graph shows that people between the ages of 31-40 are significantly many more than the other age groups. The ratio of men to men is also not so much different. Graph 2 Graph two shows whether people buy green goods. It shows that people who buy green goods are sixty three percent, people who don’t buy purchase green goods are twenty five percent, people who sometimes buy green goods are nine percent and those people who are not sure constitute four percent. Graph 3 The graph above shows the amount spent on green goods, convectional goods or other goods. The graph shows that green goods are purchased more than convectional goods. This means that more people now know the importance of purchasing green goods to their personal health and also to the environment. Graph 4 Graph 4 shows the percentage number of people who in considering buying green goods are influenced by the importance of health in which organic products offer. It shows that seventy three percent of the people are influenced by health when considering buying organic products while twenty eight percent are not. Graph 5 Graph shows that the cost of green products greatly influences their purchase. The graph shows that seventy percent of the respondents agree that the price of green products will greatly influence their choice to purchase them while only 30 percent thought otherwise. Thematic discussion Price The cost of green goods is discussed in two approaches. It is that believed that people will buy green goods with respect to their prices if they are cost effective or they are really beneficial to the environment. Many people do agree that cost is a major influencing factor and that many people will do anything to protect their youngsters and future generations. So many respondents did not mind so much on the cost if the act of buying goods would mean preserving the environment. Another feature that was common was the quality factor. Most of the people did agree that they could buy green goods if they were quality goods. Lack of suitable information Most of people do not know the significance of buying green goods and this makes them less considerate when buying goods. The whole picture of how buying organic products and how it helps conserve the environment proves to be a problem. This problem can be corrected through creating awareness right from the grocery stores. A breakdown of how buying green products and its importance on the environment should be made known to everyone which will increase ethical consumerism. Accountability Another factor is accountability. Accountability may be from a personal level or from a general level. Some people feel personally responsible for taking care of the environment. They believe that by them consuming green products it will help conserve the environment. This perspective leaves a positive mark on ethical consumption. The other subtheme is where people feel that their personal consumption is too minimal to make a difference on what is happening on the earth. They believe that grocery stores are even more responsible for the change that is needed. This leaves a negative mark on ethical consumption. Education should be carried out to inform people who have a similar thought that change starts with an individual and then leads to greater changes on the environment. Discussion From the number of respondents who participated in the research, it was noted that more than three quarters of them buy green goods often. This is evident in graph where eight people out of ten people said yes to buying green products. Almost all the people who said they buy green goods were mostly because of the education factor whereby a person had the necessary information regarding the importance organic products offer to the environment. This raises another issue which is quite crucial. This relates to setting in place units in school syllabus which involve the environment to teach the young generation of being responsible to the environment and to be ready for any repercussions which may arise to irresponsible living and also risks which are there for future generations. Education may also be in the form of handouts and small adverts such as posters to increase the time of contact of information with the target human community. In the third graph it is seen that some people would not buy green goods if they are costly. This may be so because they could be purchasing goods for the whole family which means purchasing the green products means additional costs which will strain them. However it is notable that most people especially people above the age of 50 spend most of their funds on buying green products. This may be to them feeling more responsible of their children and the generation they are living behind. It also seen that people under the age of 50 and above the age of 20 do not spend so much money on green products. This may be so due to either lack of knowledge of the significance on spending on green goods or due to high levels of ignorance. This calls for more information to be disseminated to people in this age level in forms which will be more attractive to them such like adverts connected with music which is liked by this group or even averts whereby the type of dressing is similar to the current fashion of this age group. However it should be noted that relevant knowledge is a determining factor. In the fourth graph, it is noted that six people out of a possible ten people do not buy green products due to their healthy capacity. This may be so since many people may prefer other means of keeping fit other than green goods such as exercise. However four people out of the possible ten people buy green products due to their health purposes. This means that although the ratio may be below half, a good no of people have realized the nutrient content of green products which creates a positive change in ethical consumption. However, more emphasis needs to be undertaken on the importance of a balanced diet which includes organic products in order to improve ratio of the green products consumed and thus increased ethical consumerism. The fifth graph shows that seven people out of the possible ten people think that the price of green products influence whether they will be purchased or not. This coincides with the fourth graph whereby a greater number of people do not consider health as a factor inducing people to buy green products since that would compromise the price factor. If green goods are costly, most respondents pointed out that they would not purchase them even if they know the nutrient content offered by them. This means that most people will go from store to store to search for alternative goods to substitute for organic products incase the alternative goods are cheaper. From the research it is evident that the price of green products is a key factor that influences purchase of green products. People are seen to buy less healthy products than green products if they are more affordable. It should thus be a major to reduce the prices of green goods or reduce the price difference in relation to other goods which are substitutes or compliment goods to increase ethical consumption. This can be done by reducing the inputs needed to grow them and any other costs associated with them such as transport costs. More land also should be put aside to grow green products to ensure more supply of green goods which will gradually reduce the market prices to an affordable level. From the research it is also evident that knowledge is a key factor which influences consumer choice towards organic products. If a person knows the dangers which are posed by the environmental degradation and the significant role played by green goods in correcting these dangers, then a person is most likely to practice ethical consumerism. A person who holds such knowledge will feel responsible of taking care of the environment. On the other hand, someone who lacks suitable information of the dangers posed by the environment and the relevance of green products will be ignorant of the need to practice ethical consumption. If this research was to be redone, it would be more suitable to ask less quantitative questions but rather ask more qualitative questions. It would also be good to classify different groups of people in different groups while focusing more on why people do not buy green products than why they buy them. Use of other methods of data collection such as interviews would also help since they would generate more data for this study. If this research was to continue, the most suitable factors to be considered would be cost and suitable knowledge of the importance of green products and the methods which would be used to educate people on the importance of organic products both to their personal health and also to the environment References Bibliography Co-operative Group ECRA, 2010, Co-operative Banks Ethical Consumerism Report, Co=operative Bank, London. Bray et al, DW 2011, ‘an explanatory study into factors impeding Ethical Consumption’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 98 pg 597-608 Green gold, 2011, why green products, available from: [April 16, 2013] Team Treehugger, 2007, how to go green: why go green. Available Read More