Sustainable Purchases

Eleanor Carter

Learning about a sharing economy has been an interesting glimpse into what our economy could look like in the future. With our ever-changing status in the world, there are many different directions that our economy could take. Regarding a sharing economy, it is one of the most user friendly ways in which we could progress. Some of these have already been put into place. We have services like Uber, Left, Depot, and Ebay to cater to an evolving sharing economy. To me, it is an important way to help with the manufacturing of sustainable and ethically sourced products. As we evolve, I think it is important for us to take a look at where our products are coming from and who is making them. Under what conditions? What are they paid? What materials are put into everyday product and how are they sourced. My part to a sharing economy would make it accessible to know this information. We have certain apps like this today, such as an app you can download onto your phone to scan a barcode to see particular information. This can be useful to people with dietary restrictions when purchasing food, and this is how it is most often used. But I'd like to take it a step beyond. Using this method, I would like to be able to scan barcodes on furniture, miscellaneous items, and set a focus on clothing. With this action you could see where it was sourced, stretching further from the simple "Made in China" logo. On this app I would like to display the city where it was made, the factory, wages at the factory, and if possible the person who made it. I know this is a stretch, but as we develop into a society so focused on moving forwards at such a rapid pace we can loose sight as to the significance that items we purchase can have on real people's lives. In 2013 a factory collapse in Bangladesh cost the lives of more than 600 people. These people were making clothing for the Gap, a popular household clothing brand. Many were unaware of this horrific display of dangerous working conditions, and continued to by from the Gap, oblivious of horror that had taken place in Bangladesh. A goal with this app would be to help educate people when events like these happen. I know this may not be so focused on a "sharing economy" but so many are unaware of where there money goes when they purchase goods. Our economy needs to be more in depth than just an exchange of money, and it's an important thought that needs to be taken into consideration in the future.

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