Zero Waste Enthusiastic
Looking for a zero waste way to shop? Shop local.
As consumers, we are usually enticed by the products that are new and unique to our locality. We tend to look for those imported items because sometimes, we don’t trust our local products. Little did we know that some of those imported products are also made from our best local resources. We might have experiences on buying at local shops and was dissatisfied with the quality but come on, let’s give it another try.
There is still more to find out with our local shops. Besides, we are also responsible for why can’t we become competitive with foreign products. We must support our local products as it does not only provide our needs but also, we are promoting to value of our own resources that will eventually help our community.
3 reasons why we should shop local
There’s a treasure in our nature!
Different places have their own unique products that they can be proud of. These are meant to be for the people living around the area as they are well-designed to suit their environment.
Areas with a warm climate rich are in calamansi and lemons which could be processed to make calamansi and lemon juice. You don’t need to look for imported drinks especially for warm days. It’s nutritious and at the same time, you don’t have to worry to be about the stocks when you crave for it.
Besides, it is good for our health to buy fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat and other food that can be found in our locality. It’s because they don’t have to be preserved with strong chemicals that could weaken our immune system. For those processed products within the locality, the good thing would be the promotion of resources that would let other people realize the value of these natural resources.
Besides, to shop local will produce a lesser carbon footprint compares to large foreign entities. There are fewer emissions from long-distance shipping, fewer vehicle emissions from shopping within your community, and most importantly, more support towards local industries that take care of local resources. By supporting local shops, you’re not just helping the community but also the preservation of our nature.
It’s a way of helping our economy.
Patronizing local shops would help our economy grow. Our local producers would be encouraged to make valuable products for the community. They don’t have to export those resources to be processed in foreign countries and later on, sold in our locality at a higher cost. It will not just enrich our resources but will promote job stability.
People in the community do not have to somewhere because of a lack of job vacancies in their area. They don’t have to go far from their family like going abroad to sustain their needs. It’s an indirect way of helping someone to be employed. Besides, it’s an indirect way of helping yourself and other people when it comes to benefits earned.
Higher profit entails higher tax returns which is a good thing for the public. More public facilities would open up. Our community becomes more sustainable and independent. Also, local businesses are more cautious with their products as they are promoting them to their fellow citizens.
If we shop local, these businesses will be more likely willing to return the favor by donating to charities and other organizations to help the community than foreign companies. In fact, in times of crisis like the COVID-19, small businesses give back to their community by giving free food to frontliners or helping poor families through donating to food banks and shelters.
Preserve common tradition and culture.
Buying foreign products is not bad. It’s also our way of adapting to other cultures and modernization. What does not seem to sound right is to set aside our tradition and culture. It’s obvious that as we patronized foreign products, we are not just changing ourselves but we are also stimulating the change in different business industries in our locality.
Many countries easily adapt to other cultures and it’s nice to see how they relate with each other not until one shamefully forgets its own practices. So much for that, the “shop local” initiative encourages tradition and culture preservation.
How? Well, our local shops would be less encouraged to imitate foreign styles integrated with their products. If we show interest in our own style, it will be an eye-opener to other people of how nice it is to preserve their own culture too. It would also preserve the rich traditions of our ancestors and make them even more relevant for each generation.
Who could be a good promoter to support local shops?
Governments
Government, as we all know, is the one that creates policies and regulations in an organized state. It is so powerful that it could even dictate how one should run a business, limit properties acquired, and even the products that come in and out in the country!
What the government needs to do is not to stop the imported products but to support local producers. The government could grant local entities such as buildings, properties, and equipment in exchange for enriching local resources and employing citizens. It could also make the process of starting and renewing businesses easier and more convenient for everyone. Most importantly, local and national governments should incentivize small businesses by giving more grants, flexible loans, and subsidies.
The government should encourage local businesses by assisting in the continued development of their products. Free online seminars and financial support are powerful tools during this pandemic time.
Celebrities
Who’s more influential than a person whom everybody looks up to? Imagine a group of our favorite celebrities advocating for enriching our own resources and supporting local shops. They could greatly influence our preferences, couldn’t they? We have this mindset that we don’t see value in a thing unless someone with standard values it first.
Just like in the makeup industry, if we see our favorite celebrities using a specific brand that we haven’t tried before then we would immediately think that it’s not bad to give it a try. Also, if you’re a fan of a basketball game, it’s normal that you would mind noticing the things used by your idol.
If those people whom we look up to support local products then it would not be that hard to promote it to their fellow citizens. It’s their testimonial that assures us of the products.
Everyone!
Aside from that famous influential person that we know, everyone is capable of implicitly encouraging others to shop local. It just matters on how we are going to make local products fancy every time we use them. Even those people that we do not know could influence us.
An example would be shopping at the mall that makes us notice other people wearing something that best suits their style. If most of them would wear local products then it would be catchy as those imported products.
The school could also be a great start to influence young minds. Imagine a cafeteria with tasty local food innovated to suit everyone’s taste is a brilliant idea. As the most powerful tool during the pandemic time, a simple act of sharing local products in your social media accounts could also raise awareness to a wide number of viewers.
Conclusion
To shop local is very significant because small businesses are the lifeblood of your community. They help preserve culture, boost local projects, and envigorate society. Plus, patronizing local shops and makers can help you reduce your impact on the environment. And most importantly, when you shop local, you refuse to play by the tune of the big polluters which are multinational companies.
In some cases, there are inventions or products made within a country but because of the lack of trust and support of its community, others would choose to sell their right to it. It will then be imported into our country with a foreign name.
Buying foreign products is not bad at all but come to think it twice that before you patronize imported products, you must support your community first. It does not only benefit you and me because it also benefits society at large.
Most importantly, to shop local is one of the easiest sustainable habits to practice. Local products are produced with less emissions and are more likely to be packed with reusable materials. And when you shop local and buy from a small business, you help families and communities directly – you help them survive to do their passion and preserve their environment.
