Ethical Consumerism: What it is and why it's important to us

2020 has forced us all to slow down and take the time to re-evaluate things and we're no different here at Antiques Web Design. Whether you're a food-mile-counting, recycling and sustainability eco warrior or have only really just thought about switching to free range eggs, we can all agree that global warming is a real problem that we all need to work together to combat it.

Sustainability has always been important to us as a team and whilst doing the preparation and research for Antiques Boutique we came across the term 'Ethical Consumerism' which perfectly encapsulates what we're aiming to promote as a company.

Read on to find out more about Ethical Consumerism and why we care about it so much.

In this article we'll go over:

• What is Ethical Consumerism?
• Why it's important to us?
• Our Mission
• How does it impact the environment?
• The "Antiques are expensive" myth

What is Ethical Consumerism?

Image credit: Painted House Kent

Being an ethical consumer means that the items you buy are ethically produced and are not harmful to the environment or society. It can be as simple as switching to free range eggs or as complex as boycotting items produced by child labour.

Of course in relation to the Antiques industry it's making the switch from fast furniture/furnishings to Antique or Vintage furniture and decorative items.

Why is it important to us?

We have always held sustainability close to our hearts here. We don't have a massive carbon footprint as a company but every little helps and we've taken all of the measures possible to ensure that we are doing our part. For a start we do everything online! We rarely use paper or print anything because everything we use is cloud based. We use Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host our servers, who already power 50% of services using renewable energy and they’re heading towards a goal of 100%

One of the main driving forces behind us launching Antiques Boutique was to help Antique and Vintage items become more accessible to the general public in order to promote ethical consumption reducing carbon emissions and the amount of mass produced furniture that is sent to landfill.

Our Mission

"To make the sustainable world of antiques mainstream"

We believe that the antiques & vintage industry is an industry that is growing to be part of the solution. People who would have never thought to buy an antique or vintage item in the past are now turning to the world of antiques to furnish their home.

We intend to be part of the solution and be a link between buyers and dealers.

How does it impact the environment

Items which are well made, and built from quality materials last much longer than items cheaply made in mass quantities, reducing the environmental cost of throwing cheaply or poorly made items away.

This can also relate to newly made items shipped from locations such as China. A new (made in China) chest of drawers has a carbon footprint 16 times higher than the antique equivalent per year, according to research commissioned by the International Antiques and Collectors Fairs (IACF). The research highlights the lower carbon footprint of antiques in comparison to their modern day counterparts.

The "Antiques are expensive" myth

Image Credit: Appley Hoare

We tend to find that a lot of people are of the mindset that Antiques are expensive and out of reach for a lot of people. They can be expensive, however you can pick up some really great bargains, at around the same prices as you would pay at IKEA or Next.

You can find them in so many different places, such as auction houses, Antique Websites and online marketplaces such as Antiques Boutique. You could even find them at flea markets, they're everywhere now and more accessible than ever -  and our aim with Antiques Boutique is to push Antqiues and Vintage even more into the mainstream.

Conclusion

Head over to Antiques Boutique to check out the Antique and Vintage items we have for sale over there.