Why Do Eco Brands Cost So Much?
Is zero waste living expensive? Yes and no.
I say “no” because you don’t have to buy anything to be zero waste. Zero waste living includes habit changes such as conserving water and conserving energy. Zero waste is also about recycling properly and starting a compost setup. You can even just use what you already have, such as an old water bottle, vs buying a trendy one.
But, yes, low waste living can be expensive when it comes to buying eco-necessities like toilet paper and menstrual products and shampoo. But why?
Let’s talk about that today!
Ethical labor
First and foremost: the price that ethical brands charge should be the norm across the board. It is not brands jacking up the cost to scam you. Rather, fast fashion brands and fast “item” brands, like Temu, are the ones pulling the tricks. They are the ones cutting corners and making us feel like those prices are normal, but those prices come at a cost to workers and the environment.
I highly recommend the documentary, The True Cost. This film dives into the true cost of fast fashion. What we save with our dollars means it costs us all in the long run in terms of pollution, climate change, and exploiting fellow humans to make this garbage for us. Want to learn more about fast fashion? I have an updated video coming soon, but check out this old one for now.
So ethical brands cost more because they pay a fair wage to everyone in the supply chain. From farmers to textile workers to packers and drivers, and everyone in between. This also means fair and ethical working conditions, such as breaks, healthcare, personal protective equipment, unionizing, and more. The bar is low when these things are considered special and unusual.
Is this foolproof? No. There are plenty of brands that greenwash and pretend to be more eco-friendly and ethical than they actually are, and then can use that as a reason to charge more to make more money. It’s sad that people would stoop to that level. So, do some research on the brands before supporting them to see if they put their money where their mouths are.
Eco-friendly materials and practices
It also costs more for brands not to pollute! Again, the bar is extremely low. It costs more to use green energy, recycle, refill their products, pay for carbon offsetting, opt for recyclable or recycled materials, manage their waste in an eco way, and choose eco-friendly packaging (just to name a few).
It costs far less to just send everything to the landfill, pick the cheapest materials usually made from oil, pick the cheapest packaging, and power machines and plants with oil versus renewable energy.
Not only this, but the government places subsidies on wasteful things such as oil and gas, meat and dairy, and things like that. That means the government pays money to keep these prices low. That’s a main reason why vegan and eco-friendly materials cost more in comparison.
Small batch orders
It costs less when you, or a brand, buy things in bulk. When a brand orders, say, shea butter, to make their eco-friendly moisturizer, it would be cheaper for them to buy 100 pounds of it instead of 1 pound. But if they don’t have a huge audience right now, that 100 pounds may go to waste, so they have to buy smaller quantities so as not to waste any. This may also lead to increased costs while they are a small business.
Eco businesses are on the rise, but it is still not enough for these things to be made in larger, cheaper quantities.
Certifications
Many eco brands go out of their way to get 3-party certifications such as Fairtrade, BPI/TUV, B Corp, and 1% For the Planet (learn more about them here). These certifications take time and money to get, sometimes thousands of dollars. This may also lead to an increased price.
Does a certification automatically make a company eco? No. Nor does not having a certification make a brand not eco. A 3rd party certification is a great place to check for greenwashing, but if the company doesn’t have that cert, it could be a matter of money. One of my favorite eco brands, Reworked by Sav, doesn’t have any certifications. But her business is 100% eco-friendly. It’s just not accessible for super small businesses to get these certs, and it can lead to increased costs for everyone.
Bulk stores
People often associate zero waste with refill stores and often think that bulk stores are more expensive. And they can be, but the reason may shock you!
Yes, they too have to pay people an ethical wage, pay for certifications, and ensure eco-friendly business practices, which may contribute to an increased price, but not always.
The main culprit here is that you are likely just buying more in volume than you’re used to buying, which costs more. When I buy a bag of chocolate chips, it’s about 1 cup. But when I refill my quart jar, that’s about 4 cups. No wonder it costs more, I’m buying 4x the volume I’m used to!
But, when the math works out, the price is actually less had I only bought just 1 cup of chocolate chips.
So, yes, bulk stores may be cheaper up front, but the price by ounce is less.
But, zero waste swaps can save you money
Many traditional zero waste swaps will save you money over the long run since most of them are reusable and not disposable things you have to buy over and over again. Of course, a lot of what we buy is not designed to last: toilet paper, toothpaste, cleaners, etc. If you can’t afford those products, don’t sweat it! Instead, I encourage you to invest in reusable products that you only have to buy once and hopefully never again.
Things like a reusable water bottle, reusable coffee cup, reusable period products, dryer balls, a French press for coffee and tea, and more will save you literal thousands of dollars every single year. Yes, I did the math here.
I’m not saying you have to, but you could use this money you save on disposable water bottles to buy a more expensive eco toothpaste, for example.
Still doesn’t sound good enough? Check out my list of over 400 ways to live zero waste for FREE.
Other ways that zero waste shopping can be cheaper
No, you don’t have to buy any of these expensive zero waste swaps now or ever. But you can still be a mindful consumer:
Shop less: do you really need that item, eco or not? Can you go without it or buy less of it? Is that an impulse purchase? Here are my tips for breaking up with overconsumption.
Try shopping secondhand! You can find some amazing things at the thrift stores for a fraction of what it costs to shop new, AND it’s one of the most eco-friendly things we can do for the planet. Check out more thrifting tips here.
Borrow and rent vs buy: the library is your best eco friend! The library is economical and reduces our overall societal waste by promoting borrowing instead of every single person buying the same thing. You don’t need to buy a sewing machine to repair your clothing, just borrow one from your library’s library of things. You don’t need to buy that book to learn about climate change, just borrow it! Here are more reasons to support your local library.
Read reviews before purchase: not every zero waste swap is going to be for everyone. So don’t feel the need to buy every single thing that is promoted to you or that you see during your research. I highly recommend you take the time to do some research. Which brand of period underwear would be best for you? Which shampoo bar would work best for your hair? Yes, it may still be expensive, but it’s less expensive than buying swap after swap, hoping for the best.
Make your items last and mend them: be gentle with your reusable water bottle and your eco period products. Make them last as long as possible by following care instructions and treating them well. If you get a hole in your eco sweatshirt, give it a mend to help it last. This can stretch out how long you have to go until you make the purchase again.
Should you shop eco and ethical?
Yes, I think we should all do as much as we can to shop small and shop ethically. But I’m also not going to pretend that it is perfectly achievable by everyone. We simply have to do our best. If you can splurge on reusable period products, amazing! But if you can’t justify eco toilet paper that costs 4x as much as “regular” toilet paper, you don’t have to do that.
It’s okay to take baby steps on your eco journey. It’s okay to not do it all! Do what you can.
My best advice here is to make changes elsewhere in your eco life that don’t involve money. Open the windows and use natural lighting to conserve energy, bike instead of drive, upcycle instead of buy new, prevent food waste, and things like that. All of those habit changes also save money! Here are more ideas for eco habits to try out if swaps aren’t for you right now.
And remember that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. No, this isn’t an excuse to go and be as wasteful as possible. Rather, it’s a reminder not to put the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s okay if you can’t do it all, but I think we can all try our very best to avoid wasteful and unethical brands.
Speaking of…check out my list of brands that I LOATHE as an ethical environmentalist.
Thank you so much for reading along. I hope that you enjoyed this one!
As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)
Emma
