Confronting Our Choices: The Ethics of Consumption

Our everyday purchases have global consequences. From smartphones to chocolate, the products we consume often come at the expense of people, land, and the environment. In an age of climate breakdown and economic inequality, ethical consumption is not a luxury—it's a responsibility.

At Ardh Shop, we recognise that people from culturally diverse communities have long been at the forefront of sustainability. This blog explores how we can make more informed, ethical choices, without claiming to be perfect.

Electronics: The cost of convenience

Minerals used in smartphones and laptops—like coltan, cobalt and tungsten—are often mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo under violent and exploitative conditions. The UN estimates around 40,000 children are involved in these dangerous operations.

The DRC supplies over 60% of the world's cobalt, a key component in batteries for phones and electric vehicles. Many artisanal mines operate informally, with minimal regulation and a high risk of injury or death.

Many tech companies still fail to trace their supply chains. But consumers can take action:

• Choose refurbished electronics from platforms like Back Market
• Support ethical manufacturers such as Fairphone, which designs modular, repairable smartphones and uses responsibly sourced materials (recommended by Ethical Consumer Magazine)

Reducing demand for new tech is one way to reduce harm.

Travel: Tourism or extraction?

Mass tourism can lead to displacement, environmental degradation and cultural commodification. Globally, tourism accounts for around 8% of carbon emissions, with international flights being a major contributor.

Ethical Consumer recommends UK-based companies like Pura Aventura, which offers low-impact, small-group travel focused on local benefit.

Travelling responsibly means choosing off-season trips, supporting local businesses, and avoiding exploitative tourism.

Fashion: Unravelling injustice

The fast fashion industry depends on low-paid, often unsafe labour—particularly in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sudan. It also contributes significantly to global emissions and textile waste.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned every second. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions—more than international flights and maritime shipping combined.

Alternatives include:

• Buying second-hand or organising clothing swaps
• Supporting ethical brands such as Agaati, a UK-based South Asian-owned brand embracing slow fashion, handwoven textiles, and artisan collaboration

The goal isn’t to shop more ethically—it’s to shop less, more mindfully.

Chocolate: Behind the sweetness

Chocolate production is still tied to child labour and unsustainable farming, particularly in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, over 1.5 million children are involved in hazardous cocoa farming in West Africa.

Ethical Consumer recommends brands that use Fairtrade and transparent sourcing models.

Try UK-based options like Seed and Bean, which is Fairtrade-certified, organic and ethically run. You can also explore Krakakoa, an Asian-owned ethical chocolate brand working directly with small farmers in Indonesia to promote sustainable, fair trade cocoa.

Choosing better chocolate supports fairer livelihoods.

Jewellery: Unearthing the harm

Gold and diamonds are often sourced from conflict zones including Sudan and the Congo, where extraction is linked to displacement, violence and environmental harm. Globally, gold mining generates over 180 million tonnes of toxic waste annually.

Ethical alternatives include:

• Buying vintage or second-hand
• Supporting brands like April March, a UK jeweller offering traceable and responsibly made pieces (Ethical Consumer-recommended)
• Exploring culturally rooted brands such as Yala Jewellery, a UK-based Black-owned brand working with Kenyan artisans using recycled materials and fair trade practices
• Discovering Maari London, a South Asian-owned jewellery label inspired by Tamil heritage and sustainability, using recycled metals and small-scale production

Jewellery should never cost someone else their safety.

Corporate power: Redirecting our money

Large corporations often profit from harmful systems—including environmental degradation, labour violations, and support for militarised regimes, such as in Palestine.

In 2022, the top 100 global corporations accounted for over 70% of industrial emissions. Meanwhile, brands linked to human rights abuses continue to dominate markets.

Boycotting brands involved in injustice and supporting local, independent businesses helps redistribute power.

The Ardh Shop directory highlights ethical brands from marginalised communities doing things differently.

No one is perfect, but we can all do something

Ethical consumption isn’t about guilt—it’s about honesty and intention. Not everyone can afford the most ethical options all the time. But wherever possible, we can choose to:

• Buy less and reuse more
• Ask where things come from
• Support businesses that care for people and planet

It’s about moving from convenience to conscience. Let’s build a fairer world—purchase by purchase.

Explore our directory to start making small, meaningful shifts: www.ardh.shop

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