I have many favourites stores that I shop from as a Raw Vegan and you will find these over at the Roar Shopping site. I will not go into all the places I shop here as this is more a guide as to the considerations made as a vegan and person who wants for a better future we can all be proud to be part of.
There are always important decisions to be made when purchasing a product from another entity such as a store. You are choosing each time to hand your precious money over for a product. You always want to make sure your purchase counts towards something that is animal cruelty free, leaves a low impact on the environment and mother earth. It is also great to always be conscious of the ethics and working environment for employees of a business you buy from. Things such as fair pay for the people who a create a product are import to help make for a brighter & more sustainable future
"Each time I leave the house I believe I represent all I want to see in this world, all I want to see for my nieces future and the future of humanity as a whole. I always believe that my money represents me. My purchases symbolise all I enjoy and what I would like more and less of in this world. "
Our spending creates a demand and that demand could be for more animal meat products , more animal skin clothes, more sweat shops and more manufacturing which in turn means you want a lower quality of air to breathe and an unsustainable future with fewer animals in it. Or your shopping trip represents a more sustainable earth where your money goes to a company that does not harm animals, has a high standard of working conditions for employer's, uses sustainable and natural fibres and packaging for their products. A great example of a shop like this is Cotton On where as their products are all vegan including the vegan bags and shoes they sell.
Since starting to shop ethically and vegan friendly I shop with a deep purpose for products I need. I see shopping now as something that I do as the benefit of buying the product brings a benefit to my life that outweighs any negative offsets that came about by the product being created. For example when I buy my bamboo tooth brushes I am very aware that a bamboo plant was cut down to make my toothbrush, and yet the result of me not cleaning my teeth would be more negative to this plant. If I did not brush my teeth I would get tooth decay and become sick and in turn a huge cost to the economy.
I think it is also important to remember too that you and I are both animals. Veganism is about the care, love and protection of all animals and their right to life. You have a right to life and in the case of the toothbrush I am very sure the bamboo tree would be honoured to know it kept someone from a dentist or hospital and contributed to you having a healthy life. As you can see I am beyond mindful now when I shop and how my decisions influence the very survival of life and this plant.
There are also some very great resources that can help you when you shop as a Raw Vegan to ensure no animals were hurt to create what you buy, that green house gas is kept to a minimal and that the people that created a product are people (animals) who have good working conditions:
I use the databases below to help me shop ethically and environmentally best for this plant:
Cruelty Free Peta A searchable database of companies that don’t test their products on animals.
Vegan Australia This is great to check out if a brand/ company has this Vegan certified in Australia.
Shop Ethical The Shop Ethical guide draws into one place information on the environmental and social track record of the companies behind common brands.
Good On You Is the source for fashion’s most trusted sustainability ratings.
The easiest way to know if a product is vegan is to look for a label on the product that says 'Suitable For Vegans' or a 'Certified Vegan' logo. This will usually be displayed on a Vegan item. If you are unsure if it is vegan simply ask someone who works in the store to help you with your query. Most companies promote if they are Vegan these days and this is such a great help to us customers when shopping. Every country seems to have a different way to certify or display that a product or company is Vegan. Below are a few of the logo's you may expect to find on a Vegan item.
When ever I shop and I want to look into who created a product (especially if it is a fashion or beauty product). I always use one of the databases above. I do find the Good on You website exceptionally helpful as it gives ratings for People, Planet and Animals. So you can see that a product is good for all 3 and feel even better about a purchase. I also love that this website has many trendy brands in their database so it helps you find any new trendy Vegan labels.
When it comes to food I only eat fresh fruit and vegetables as a Raw Vegan.I know that no animals were harmed in what I eat as it is pant matter. This all helps me feel better each day. Please check out the Roar Shopping site for all the local places I shop for Raw produce. I do feel I have a much greater connection to animals now because of my Vegan lifestyle. I see this as another gift and reason to go Vegan.
When it comes to everything in my life as a whole and it's impact I have on this plant I am far from perfect. Even though I do not harm animals with my Vegan lifestyle it seems even living the way we would need 2. 5 earths according to the Ecological Footprint Calculator to sustain life if we all lived like myself. So stay posted on more tips from me to improve my lifestyle very soon !
In making this planet a better place for all it is so important to always look if in the making of a product it meant an animal was harmed or used in testing. If an animal who truly can not give consent (as they do not speak) was part of what you are buying I only ask you think long and hard about what that animal may have gone through for you to now own that product.
The purpose of this blog post is to not go into animal cruelty. If you do want to truely understand the depths of Veganism I recommend you watch the documentaries Cowspiracy or Slay as these will lay out some very strong arguments for going Vegan.
Today I wanted to simple share some of the tools, thoughts and ways I navigate my life as a Raw Vegan when I shop. We can all do our part every day to help all living beings on this planet. With all the great choices out there for shopping as a Vegan there is no reason not to embrace the Roar Vegan lifestyle and shop like a Raw Vegan.
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