why are sustainable product so expensive bag of apples

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14 Comments

  1. Pieter Verasdonck says:

    Excellent overview, but… a viable sustainability premium has been researched by McKinsey and PwC and, according to the WEF, an average of 7% premium on products would be enough to restore environments. AVERAGE, it much depends on impact, and runs from 0% for eco-friendly to 28% for harmful as described in https://sustainablelifestylehub.org/2024/03/11/the-winds-of-change-that-nurture-political-and-economic-metamorphosis/

    Why do governments not guide consumer behaviour better to environmental sustainability?

  2. I really like this post. everything in our lives should be balanced, and you can also buy food at sales. It often has a short shelf life, but it is still good. We save money and no food is wasted.

  3. Thank you for all those great tips!
    Another way to save on organic items: talk to your local producers.
    There is a huge difference between e.g. a regular apple at the grocery store (sprayed with different chemicals on AVERAGE 21 times – data for Germany) to the local farmer that might spray once or twice or even only when necessary. Also as you wrote, the labels are expensive and in many cases small producers have to pay the same amount – so they don’t. And you basically get organic produce just without a label. Just like your lemon lady!
    Oh I wish I lived where lemons grow.. or figs rather 😀

  4. I appreciate your research and sharing. I did know most of these ideas except for the post merchandise idea. Thanks.
    Keep up the good fight
    Donna

  5. Yes, sustainable personal products can last longer in themselves, but they can also last longer if you need to use them less often – I wash my hair less often using a natural shampoo bar than I ever did with plastic-bottled chemical liquid shampoo, so the bar lasts longer
    And I try to source most clothing from charity shops – an item may not have been sustainable initially, but it gets a second life, prevents a new item being needed, costs less than a new item, and provides a charitable donation as well
    And the internet and shopping on-line helps with shopping around – as long as purchases are collected direct from store, or delivered in sustainable packaging

    1. Ah yes, of course. I agree that natural alternatives sometimes require less use than conventional counterparts. I don’t know if that’s product design or a shift in behaviour — likely a combination.

      Great suggestions, Ruth. Thanks for sharing!

  6. Hello, Thanks for this post. Do you know who collects the high fees associated with companies getting green certification (Organic, etc…)? Who do these bodies charge that much?

    1. I’m not sure about the business models of these certifying bodies and where the income is attributed. But it is a little concerning how high the fees are.

  7. I think you have covered this topic fairly, however you didn’t include/overlooked the profit aspect. Some companies see the sustainability/ green purchaser as a chance the make exorbitant profit at the expense of people who Try to make the best choices when buying things. Also I am not naïve I understand fully that all companies need to make a profit, but some go beyond making a good profit. Even in the sustainable environment greed is still considered to be a good thing.

    1. That’s a fascinating point, Jill. I agree that big dollars are attached to eco-friendly consumers, and brands mark up profits accordingly — knowing they will pay a premium.

  8. Frank Kovacs says:

    Sad but true Michael. Supply and Demand will always dictate the price of goods and services. However, enter Aldi!! When Theo Albrecht and Karl Albrecht (from Germany) commenced their cult-favorite discount supermarket chain stores across the planet in the early 1990s, they were onto something. Scoring higly in retail ethical sourcing guide by the “Baptist World Aid,” (an International Christian Development Organisation with a slant on reducing poverty), Aldi is well ahead of conglomerlates like Myers, Billabong, Roxy, Jeanswest, to name a few. Aldi’s Organic food/special buy clothing and electrical equipment go a long way to ease the retail pain costs and indirectly cause other major gracery retailers to reduce their retail costs accordingly. Some of Aldi’s gracery lines are eco-friendly too. But at the end-of-the-day you get what you pay for. Aldi and K-Mart ‘T’s are fine for price and quality. And as Michael advocates: you would do well by shopping around and online.
    Cheers,
    Frank
    P.S. I am not an employee of Aldi but shop there for their organic grocery lines

    1. Hi Frank, great call about Aldi! I miss their organic chocolate and ground coffee, not only the taste but the price too 🙂