What if I offered you a Mercedes S class and a Tesla Model S, which would you choose? They are both best in class midsize sedans. Except one, the Model S, is a socially responsible product because it doesn’t pollute. Wouldn’t you automatically choose the Model S?
Welcome to the world of socially responsible products!
Socially responsible products are products and services that are created with people and planet in mind. They are produced by companies that have a social enterprise mission. This means that the aim or mission of the business is to have a positive impact on their community and the environment.
For example, I wear Warby Parker glasses. Their mission is to help the billions of people that don’t have glasses, so for every pair of glasses they sell they give away a free pair to those in need. This business model was made popular by Tom’s shoe brand where for every pair of shoes purchased they give away a pair to those in need. As a founder of a socially responsible financial firm, it would be remiss of me to not have a socially responsible bank handling my money. This is why I bank with Aspiration. They allow you to pay them what you think is fair for their services, and they actually pay you for your deposit, which is rare amongst the mainstream banks. They donate 10% of their earnings to charity and they offer a fossil fuel free investment portfolio. On top of all that, you never have to pay an atm fee! They reimburse you for all atm fees including internationally, virtually making every atm your atm.
Then there are my awesome swim trunks from Freedoms Wear. They donate a portion of each sale to the Oceanic Preservation Society, which removes plastic from our oceans. The shorts are very fashionable, fit well, and most importantly, are affordable.
The other clothing company I really like is Conscious Step Socks. Now, I don’t know about you but I love silly, cool, dress socks. It seems like it is a new trend because I see a bunch of new clothing companies that only sell these kinds of socks. If you are like me and have a ton of different types, then why not buy a few from a company that also serves some good. For every pair of socks that you purchase, Conscious Step Socks donates a portion of the profits to a non-profit, and to boot, they only use materials that are GOTS and Vegan certified. So no innocent creatures were hurt while making this product.
Also, their supply chain is socially responsible because their socks are produced by a manufacturer that maintains a fair and ethical workplace.
Socially responsible products aren’t only physical products but can be digital products as well. I don’t use Google as my default search engine anymore because I now use Ecosia, which for every search I make a tree is planted. As of this writing I have planted 961 trees! Not that I have anything against Google, but, carbon is a big contributor to climate change and planting trees is a great way to sequester carbon.
These are just a few of the socially responsible products that I use. They aren’t complete game changers but every little bit helps. We didn’t get into this situation of climate change overnight, it has been the result of small everyday decisions made over a long period of time. So naturally, a great way to reverse the situation is to make tiny positive and aware decisions. This is the only way for us to reverse climate change without completely upending our way of life. We can make a fairly painless transition to a sustainable way of life by simply choosing to buy products and support businesses that don’t harm people or planet!
It is a no brainer, choose the Model S!!!
Photo by Devin Avery on Unsplash