What Shade of Green are you? By Helene Groulx of Fresh Unlimited

I’ve seen a lot of criticism about consumerism lately, especially in the days leading to Earth Day and it seems to be coming from the extremist end of the environmental movement as well as from reputable environmental leaders.

Guest Article by Helene Groulx from Fresh Unlimited

Given that I’m in the retail business I may be a little biased but I think those making such criticisms are picking on an easy target.  I’m not saying there isn’t a problem when it comes to out of control consumption. The effects of it can very easily be seen all around us in fact it would be hard to miss.

It seems to me to be unrealistic though to expect a huge shift where society as a whole just stops consuming anything but the absolute necessities. I think we’d get further ahead if we looked at the roots of this phenomenon which appear to be resting comfortably in corporate greed and the willingness of these corporations to exploit consumers who are likely looking to fill some kind of a void by accumulating material goods

Ultimately consumerism is the way we have to exchange resources.  The underlying premise is that the harder we work the more resources we can accumulate and then exchange these for the necessities of life as well as things that bring us comfort.

I think it’s part of the human condition to want to create, explore, discover, inspire and be inspired and given this, people are always going to want to consume – the challenge is to find ways to do this more sustainably.  This requires both the technological ability to develop and ensure renewable energy sources as well as the recognition on the part of consumers of the importance of taking responsibility and educating themselves about the companies that manufacture the products they are consuming and about the products themselves rather than relying on government agencies to determine what is or isn’t safe/ethical/sustainable to consume. This is essentially the basis of the bright green environmental movement where the focus is more on creativity and innovation rather than on restriction and deprivation.

Although we hadn’t heard of this type of environmentalism at the time, my sister and I created Fresh Unlimited in 2003 with a similar philosophy, one that values creativity, passion, an overall sense of responsibility for the planet and its inhabitants and that also combines the best of innovation with the best of tradition ie. factory farms vs traditional family owned farms…

We’d had a lifelong interest in alternative health  issues, especially the risks posed by chemical additives as well as pesticide and herbicide residues in the food supply. Our desire to limit exposure to these chemicals and the recognition that the government was doing nothing to protect us from them combined with our love of decadent foods is what initially led to the creation of Fresh Unlimited.  We started noticing that products like the various Green and Blacks’ confections were starting to appear in the marketplace that were both decadent but also organic and so didn’t contain all the harmful chemicals of conventional indulgences.  We also believed  that information about the existence of these products was not readily available in the mainstream and felt that given the choice people, for the most part, would choose the decadent treat without the potentially harmful  chemicals over the one that contained these chemicals.

It was a similar story when it came to giftware items. Until this point, the majority of giftware items labeled as environmentally friendly or eco were items that were fairly rustic looking  – and although fine for certain tastes, such items had a limited appeal.  When we started doing some research we were able to locate some exquisite items that had more of a mainstream appeal but that were also created with either sustainable, renewable or recycled materials. These options are increasing all the time.

Our goal has been and continues to be to bring to consumers gift options that are equal if not superior in decadence, quality and esthetic appeal as mainstream options.  We look for items that are made by people who have a passion for what they create as well as for the welfare of our planet and its inhabitants.

In the end our hope is that  consumers will be inspired to educate themselves and direct their purchasing power away from mass produced items that may be cheaper but that contribute little and have a high environmental and/or social cost and put it towards products that offer  greater overall value.

Although it may seem like corporations have been driving consumer choice, in actuality it is consumers who have the power to demand the types of products they want. Given our busy schedules,  many of us don’t have the time required to find the information needed to make judgments about the different products we buy and the companies that make them and evaluate options.  The growth of the various social media outlets however may be what is needed to provide consumers with quick access to this type of information

Helene Groulx
Fresh Unlimited

Fresh Unlimited was created out of an appreciation for life’s little luxuries combined with a concern about the safety of our food supply. Our initial concerns dealt with the genetic manipulation of grains and produce, the various chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides used to grow them as well as food dyes and preservatives added to processed foods to reduce costs and prolong shelf life.

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