Green Consumer Day is observed globally on September 28th every year. On this day awareness is made to encourage purchasing only eco-friendly products which does not pollute the environment. This highlights the problems of consumerism and its impact on the environment. We should focus primarily on awareness raising and the importance of recycling-reusing and reducing waste material.
A green consumer is someone who is very concerned about the environment and, therefore, only purchases products that are environmentally-friendly or eco-friendly. Products with little or no packaging, products made from natural ingredients and products that are made without causing pollution are all examples of eco-friendly products. The green consumer would be the type to drive a hybrid vehicle, buy products made with hemp or those made from recycled materials.
Principal areas of developed green consumption
Green energy and Green Food: Green energy includes natural energetic processes that can be harnessed with little pollution. : In the food area, there is a recent growing of demand for less environmentally-damaging food production that leads people to buy more organic and local food. Organic food is produced through agriculture which does not use artificial chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and animals reared in more natural conditions, without the routine use of drugs, antibiotics and wormers common in intensive livestock farming. Consumers can also choose to buy local food in order to reduce the social and environmental impacts of "food miles" – the distance food travels between being produced and being consumed. This behavior can create a new sense of connection with the land, through a concern for the authenticity and provenience of the food eaten, operating a social as much as a technological innovation. In addition, taste, health and safety concerns can be other reasons behind this consumption practices.
Green fashion
Main article: Sustainable fashion
"Ethical clothing refers to clothing that takes into consideration the impact of production and trade on the environment and on the people behind the clothes we wear. Eco clothing refers to all clothing that has been manufactured using environmentally friendly processes. It includes organic textiles and sustainable materials such as hemp and non-textiles such as bamboo or recycled plastic bottles. It also includes recycled products (clothes made from recycled clothing including vintage, textile and other materials and can also be termed re-used) and is not necessarily made from organic fibers. Organic clothing means clothes that have been made with a minimum use of chemicals and with minimum damage to the environment and fair-trade is intended to achieve better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms for farmers and workers in the developing world". The three main reasons that would motivate the purchase of organic cloths are:
- Environmental-friendly protection
- Health impact
- Ethical concerns
Take a pledge to be a Green Consumer Ever Day