Category Archives: ethical consumerism

Three items on sustainable consumption

In closing out 2013 we look at three sustainable consumption items.

First, Rachel Botsman, over on Collaborative Consumption, attempts to define some terms found in the “sharing economy.” She uses visuals and examples to clarify the difference between “Collborative Economy,” “Collaborative Consumption” and “Sharing Economy.”

The Sharing Economy, defined

The Sharing Economy, defined via Collaborativeconsumption.com

Second, the new report “A Practice Perspective for Sustainability Policy Interventions” suggests that social practices are a better place to intervene than behavior, choice or technology. The writers describe practices as activities that “make up everyday life—showering, doing the laundry, cooking or driving—what we might call inconspicuous or ordinary consumption.” The authors argue that these practices, rather than the consumer’s isolated behaviors or particular technologies, are a better focus for analysis and policy to encourage sustainable consumption.

Third and finally, the World Economic Forum offers up another report on sustainable consumption, “Sustainable Consumption: Stakeholder Perspectives”. This report is part of series from WEF that also includes:

A few things to consider during this most consumptive of holiday seasons.

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This week over on Thursday Inspiration we look at what we can subtract from the picture to increase levels of sustainability.

Philippines: disaster relief and more

In the wake of disaster in the Philippines, many designers are focused on core issues such as emergency shelter, provision of food and other necessities. And rightly so. Services to people in dire circumstances is a classic form of design activism. Countless designers have contributed to disaster relief, for example, through fast, inexpensive emergency shelter,Continue Reading

Social License–turning CSR on its head

I recently read about the idea of businesses having a “social license” to operate, issued by a broad base of stakeholders affected by the business directly and indirectly. But key to the social license is the community that is most local to the company’s impacts. The article I read was about mining businesses in Australia,Continue Reading

Better consumption or less consumption — Battling surveys & reports

Surveys show consumers are buying better, Nordic report busts myth that we can consume our way to sustainability Two surveys released recently seem to indicate that consumers are caring more about the ethics and sustainability of their purchases. But the reports leave us square in the middle of the debate about whether it is possibleContinue Reading