可持续消费行为指南

文/乔纳森·戴维斯 译/施慧静

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在咖世家用自带杯装咖啡，而不用一次性咖啡杯，这是可持续消费的一个例子。但是，一个简单的可持续消费举动并不等于可持续行为——只是其中一方面罢了。

2可持续消费行为关注的是我们（消费者）如何考量可持续性并将之付诸行动。它关注你的态度、行为和行动如何受到可持续发展关切和目标的驱动。

3概括地说，可持续消费行为与你的生活方式息息相关。

4成为践行可持续行为的消费者，需要三步：

1. 消费更理性

2. 购买更得当

3. 处理更妥善

消费更理性与购买更得当的区别

5不弄明白如何让消费更理性，就无法真正做到购买更得当。

6以下是消费更理性与购买更得当的主要区别：

7“消费更理性”指的是秉承绿色理念，做出对环境友好的选择。这些选择可能包括家庭节能、以最环保的方式旅游、巧妙通勤、减少肉类消费、支持本地产品与服务、选购环保材料、自制代替购买，以及学会重复利用。

8但是，消费更理性还包括确定商品值得购买，即使是有环保标签的商品也要三思。

9“购买更得当”是指购买体现我们环保理念与环保选择的产品。待我们树立了环保理念与道德观念，掌握了如何才能做出对环境友好的选择，第二步就是“购买更得当”。

10举例而言，要想做到家庭节能，下次就要购买节能冰箱。

11再举一个例子，防晒霜通常是我们必买的产品。但是，为了减少对环境的不良影响，我们应该挑选对珊瑚礁无害的防晒用品。

12之后，一切归结于如何妥善处理。

13为助你达成目标，我们概述了三大步骤，并以你日常饮用的咖啡为例。

第一步：消费更理性

14消费不只是购买实体商品，还涉及我们的生活方式。我们首先要改变的就是生活方式。

15可持续消费行为通常意味着消费者意识到自己的消费行为及其对地球的影响。要用这份意识树立自己想要遵循的核心价值观。

16示例：与其用可重复使用的杯子去喝平时常喝的有国际公平贸易认证标签的咖啡，不如思考并关注咖啡产业带来的整体影响，涉及种植者、其投资、从连锁咖啡店中获利的企业（以及这类企业对可持续性的影响）、包装材料、运输排放及成本等等，不胜枚举。

17我们往往能得出这样一个结论：真正的可持续消费意味着简化生活方式，而不是简单地从一个品牌换到另一个。

第二步：购买更得当

18既然我们已经决定要让消费更理性，下一步就要把认识付诸行动，让购买更得当。

19购买不是被动的行为。为了做到购买更得当，实践可持续消费行为，你应该去查验产品是否拥有有效的认证，并了解其真实含义，这样才能避开打着绿色幌子的产品，避免落入市场营销套路。所以，要自己做调查！

20示例：认识到往常喝咖啡的行为对可持续性造成的全面影响，你决定今后只在特别的场合饮用（仍然选择有国际公平贸易认证标签的可持续咖啡）。平时就换成自己能在花园里种植的花草茶，或者选择英国本土公司用英国产原料制作的茶包。

21查看生产环保产品所用的材料：瓶子要优先选择金属或可回收玻璃而非塑料制成的；永远用可重复使用的产品代替一次性用品。

· 能自己种植或制作，就不买，

· 能买二手的，就不买全新的，

· 如果是废弃时难以处理的产品，那就找替代品。

22做出购买决策之际，你得考虑诸多问题，确保你的购买行为符合自己的环保理念和环保选择。此时，提出正确的问题是关键：

· 该产品是否节能减排？是否有节能认证标签？

· 该产品是否使用了环保材料？这是一个重要的可持续性议题。

· 该产品是否经久耐用？有没有更耐用的替代品？

· 该产品的生产是否合乎道德？选择合乎道德的品牌。对于时尚产业而言，尤其要重视这个问题。

· 该产品的原料是否来自本地？是否有机？

· 该产品是否未使用动物实验？有没有暗地里使用动物制品？

23根据对自己各种理念和选择的重视程度，我们往往要做出权衡。有的环保产品虽然由环保材料制成，但是产地却跨过半个地球，有的则是通过据知有不道德行为的连锁巨头销售。

24你可能会发现，有的可持续品牌尽管表现出了支持环保的行为，但其整个供应链对环境造成的负面影响更甚。

第三步：处理更妥善

25你购买的产品不是用完即消失的，所以在买之前就要想到后续的处理。

26示例：改喝花草茶之后，你把咖啡当成了偶尔的享受，并开始把茶叶渣制成堆肥。你可以用这肥料在花园里培育出更多的花草，还能让花园的土壤更肥沃。你用金属茶壶沏散装茶，因为就算茶包可以降解，最环保的做法还是杜绝这种浪费！□

Getting your Costa coffee in your own cup, instead of a single-use one, is an example of sustainable consumption. But a simple act of sustainable consumption is not the same as sustainable behaviour—it’s just one aspect.

2Sustainable consumer behaviour is about how we (consumers) think about sustainability and then act on it. It’s about how your attitude, behaviour and actions are driven—or not driven—by sustainability concerns and goals.

3To sum it up, sustainable consumption behaviour is about yourlifestyle.

4There are three steps in the process to becoming a sustainable consumer:

1. Consuming better

2. Buying better

3. Disposing better

Consuming better vs buying better

5You can’t really start buying better until you understand how you can be consuming better.

6Here’s the key difference between consuming better and buying better:

7Consuming better is about having green values and making eco-friendly choices. These choices could include:saving energy at home, travelling in the most eco-friendly way, commuting cleverly, reducing meat consumption,supporting local products/services,picking eco-friendly materials, opting for DIY instead of buying something,and learning to reuse stuff.

8But consuming better is also making sure something is worth buying, even if it’s labelled as eco-friendly.

9Buying better is about purchasing things that reflect our eco-values and eco-choices. This is the next step, once we have established our eco- and ethical values and know-how to make ecofriendly choices.

10For example, when we want to save energy at home, our next fridge should be an energy-efficient fridge.

11Another example is that we often can’t avoid purchasing suncream. But in order to reduce our environmental impact,we should look for reef-friendly options.

12After that, it all comes down to disposal.

13To help you get there, we’ve outlined the three initial steps and used your daily cup of coffee as an example.

Step 1 — consuming better

14Our consumption doesn’t just cover the physical items we buy, but the lifestyles we lead. And that is the first thing we want to change.

15Sustainable consumer behaviour often means being conscious of your actions and the impact they have on the world. Use this consciousness to create key values that you want to follow.

16EXAMPLE: Instead of reaching for your usual Fairtrade1国际公平贸易认证标签是一个独立的消费者标签，由国际公平贸易标签组织（FLO International）拥有与保护。产品上印有该标签代表发展中国家生产者在此产品贸易上得到较公平待遇。coffee in a reusable cup, you consider and are conscious of the entire impact coffee has on farmers,their investments, the corporate businesses profiting from the coffee shop chain(and their impacts on sustainability), as well as packaging materials, transport emissions and costs… the list goes on.

17Quite often, we find that true sustainable consumption leads to simplifying your lifestyle, rather than just switching from one brand to another.

Step 2 — buying better

18So, we’ve already decided to consume better. Now, we put that knowledge into action and buy better.

19Buying things is not a passive action.To buy better, with sustainable consumer behaviour, you should check for valid certifciationsand fnid outwhat theyreally mean,soyou can avoidgreenwashing2greenwashing 环保幌子，漂绿（指公司或机构假借环保之名进行宣传）。and not fall for the marketing spiel. So do your own research!

20EXAMPLE: After becoming aware of the full sustainability impact of your usual coffee, you decide to save it for special occasions (still selecting Fairtrade, sustainable coffee) and switch to herbal teas you can make from your own garden, or a local British tea bag company using British-grown ingredients.

21Check the materials the eco-friendly products are made with: choose metal or recyclable glass over plastic for bottles, and always pick reusable options over single use.

· If you can grow or make it, don’t buy it,

· If you can buy it second hand, don’t buy it new,

· If it won’t be easy to dispose of,find an alternative.

22When making a purchase decision,there are many things to consider to make sure it ticks most of your ecovalues and choices. It’s about asking yourself the right questions:

· Is it energy efficient? Does it have good energy labels?

· Is the material eco-friendly? This is one of the big sustainability issues.

· Is it going to be durable? Is there a more durable alternative?

· Is it ethically made? Look for ethical brands, especially in the fashion industry.

· Are the ingredients/materials locally sourced?Arethey organic?

·Is itcruelty-free3cruelty-free 没有使用动物实验的。?Arethey secretly using animal products?

23Often, it’s also about compromise,according to the weight we give to each of our values and choices. Green products can be made with eco-friendly material but sourced on the other side of the world, or sold by a huge chain that is known to have unethical practices.

24You might find that the proenvironmental behaviour of sustainable brands is completely outweighed by the negative environmental footprint of the overall supply chain.

Step 3 — disposing better

25When you’re fniished with a pro-duct,it doesn’t vanish into the ether. So, disposing of things you consume is something you need to consider before you buy.

26EXAMPLE: After switching to herbal teas and only picking up coffee as a treat, you start composting the spent herbs. You can use these to grow more things in your garden and fertilise the soil. You use a metal tea infuser and brew loose herbs, because even though tea bags are biodegradable, it’s better to cut out that waste altogether! ■