When you shop at Amazon, Walmart, Target or even large grocery store chains, many - or even most - of the products you’re buying are from brands that are owned by just a few conglomerates like BlackRock, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, etc. If we want to stop supporting these mega corporations (and just a guess, but I think that might be why you’re here!), we have to stop buying products from brands that are owned by them.
Avoiding these corporations is only the first half of the equation. The second half is the fun part. Supporting small, sustainable brands run by people like you and me in our communities.
I want to pause here because I have a feeling I know what some of you might be thinking. Shopping small is expensive! And you would be right. Shopping small usually ends up being more expensive up front. This is because small brands don’t cut corners, they do things like paying fair wages, using sustainable materials, shipping in eco-friendly packaging… and so on. Because of this, they’ll have higher business expenses, and will need to charge higher prices to stay in business.
But here’s something to think about. When we buy cheap, convenient and often times more toxic and unhealthy products from large corporations, we may save money up front, but we end up paying in other ways down the road. We pay with our health, we end up with unlivable wages for our working class, and we perpetuate a system that’s not working for us.
Having said that, I don’t think it’s realistic for us to shop small every time, at least not for most of us just yet (maybe someday!). What I do think is possible is for all of us to shop small more often than we do now. Even if that’s only 5 or 10% of the time. I’m a big believer that if everyone just did their best, the world would look a whole lot different.
To finish my thought today, I wanted to share that to be listed on OtterList.com, a brand must be either small & independent, sustainable in more ways than one or be a certified B-corp, leading the way in sustainable practices. As an added bonus, we’re also accepting artists who create original artwork. Because of the rise of AI generated artwork and mass produced products saturating marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon, we’ve banned AI generated artwork, and only feature original artwork from real people.
Thanks for being a part of this. More to come.
