Choose Quality over Quantity

Vote with your money. All products come from nature.
Choose products made by people who care about the full supply chain and their workers

The diversity of products and services we use is so broad and varied that I cannot make a reasonable list of specific recommendations. Instead I encourage you to include nature as a key influence in your daily purchasing decisions. To me, sustainable thinking means choosing to consume less material goods and putting effort into reducing my ecological footprint. For the products I purchase I am willing to pay a premium for quality, durability, energy efficiency, re-usability, fair working conditions, and products made in ways and from materials with comparatively low environmental impacts to the competition. I aim to support businesses that are small scale and local, over big business and brand names. I try to fix things that are broken, and follow the 3-Rs.

PODCAST (How I Build This - NPR) - Yvon Chouinard on Patagonia

This is a wonderful example of how large companies can also be more sustainable

Some important considerations when making a purchase...

Prioritize Local
Find products made from more sustainable, durable, reusable, recycled, or recyclable materials
Prioritize energy and water efficiency - Energy Star , EnerGuide labels , WaterSense
Look for labels linked to sustainability - Guide to Canadian sustainability labels
Consider buying used / second hand
Learn to repair rather than replace