Consumption and Finance

What criteria do you take into account when looking for goods, food, property or services?

Besides buying, there are other ways of getting things and food. And things are made and food is grown under different conditions. Via consumer choice, we can reinforce what we think is right with regard to the environment and the working conditions of the people who grow food or produce things for us.

Discuss the questions and evaluate your unit: name what you already do, evaluate it on the scale 1-6 (1=just by accident, 6=systematicaly and frequently). Based on your answers, Navigator will offer you some tips on how to improve.

Print the form to work off-line with your unit.

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These tasks are awaiting you

  • Experience a shortage

    Expose your unit to some discomfort such as hunger, cold, lack of sleep, etc. Reflect on this: how much of the thing you are missing would be enough for you? What would be too much? What is the difference between your need – i.e. your current situation where you lack something - and your normal state ? How much do you really need?

  • Reduce waste

    Regularly ask yourselves - especially at summer camps and events - where does our waste end up? How can we create less waste? Eg. use reusable cups rather than plastic or paper when you are organizing an event. Each of you can bring his/her favorite cup so you will always know which one is yours and you will take extra good care of it.

  • Mountains of stuff

    Choose some everyday item (eg. plastic bags, cotton products, mobile phones) and calculate the total consumption of this item by all the members of your unit in for one time period (year, week). Investigate the impact of this consumption – and the production of the item – on the environment. Ask: What do we do with that?

  • Print smart

    Print only if really necessary, use double-sided printing, prefer recycled paper, or take paper where only one side has been printed on and use it for another purpose such as drawing.