British Made Ethical Gifts
When it comes to shopping, choosing what we buy, when we buy and how we buy can make a big difference to climate change and the environment. Whether it’s food, furniture or face-cloths, minimising the amount of product miles goods have had to travel reduces carbon emissions. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for someone, consider buying British made ethical gifts as this is one sure way you can keep those miles to a minimum.
Reducing product miles
We’re becoming accustomed to the term ‘food miles’ when discussing food production and transportation. Food miles or ‘product miles’ can be defined as the total distance goods are transported from place of manufacture to the place of purchase and use.
Buying fruit, vegetables, meat and fish from British farms and fisheries ensures the food we eat hasn’t travelled too far as well as giving support to local producers and food distribution networks. Buying in season also guarantees better quality produce so if you’re buying vegetables that are out of season it probably means you buying something that has been imported. For example, in your local supermarket you could well find apples that have been shipped in from America (10,000 food miles) or tomatoes from Saudi Arabia (3,000 food miles).
However, it should also be noted that just because something has been imported from another country it shouldn’t immediately be demonised. Fruit and vegetable trade with the UK helps support around one million people living in Africa and Fairtrade gifts help distribute finances fairly to impoverished communities around the world. As a society, we need to make the right choices that will ultimately benefit people and the climate.
A similar case can be made for manufactured goods. Many products are manufactured thousands of miles away and then shipped into the UK. In some cases this can be of benefit however we should be weighing up the pros and the cons. If the same product can be made just as well, if not better, in the UK, and it is more energy efficient to do so, then as consumers we should encourage the process by buying locally.
Buying British ethical gifts
The same argument can be applied to the little luxuries in life such as gift-giving. If you’re looking to give an eco-friendly present this year then choosing British ethical gifts is a great way to keep carbon emissions to a minimum while supporting local traders and producers.
From British ethical gifts for the home and garden to British made jewellery, buying locally and buying online can help keep product miles to a minimum and reduce your carbon footprint.