Anyone have a list of places that we can buy from? Every single company is a pile of shit to some degree, so it feels like a whitelist would be shorter and more convenient than a blacklist at this point.
The smaller, the better. That’s my guideline. If I have a choice between two businesses I patronize the smaller one.
It’s all exploitative and horrible to some degree. Best bet is to disengage from consuming as much as possible in the first place rather than worrying about minmaxing the least unethical choice.
Basically vegetarianism rather than worrying about cage free, which antibiotics, etc
Your best bet is to only shop local. small time mom and pops are fine to support. even if they ultimately get their stock from larger corporations, you’re keeping more of the funds within your community.
Also Aldi is still pretty good I think. That’s the only big chain I’ve shopped at these last few months.
Other folks had good answers so I’ll just add a couple resources that don’t involve buying at all:
Depending on your location you may already have access to local Free Groups like Buy Nothing, Everything is Free, or Freecycle. These can be a great way to get good stuff for free or to get rid of working stuff you don’t need without throwing it away. The trade off is in the convenience factor -compared to a box store that’s always open and always has stocked shelves, it may take a while for the thing you’re looking for to become available (though I’ve honestly had good luck on In Search Of posts for everything from electronics and exercise equipment to cans of spray paint and lumber). These groups are also nice ways to get items that are only available from companies you’re avoiding because they’ve already been bought and might be thrown away if they’re not taken.
Alternatively if you’re very lucky you may be near an existing Free Store, Swap Shop, Swap Shed, or Stuff Swap. These places often operate a bit like a thrift store or flea market with no price tags, though some have limits on the total number of items you can take in one go. I’ve found them to be more convenient both for picking up and dropping off stuff than the online groups but they’re comparatively rare and may have limited hours when they’re open.
And if you are buying, thrift stores, consignment stores, flea markets, etc have some great stuff and can also help with boycots. Especially for tools, the older stuff is often better than whatever you can buy new anyways, but the range of items some secondhand shops sell frequently surprises me.
Turns out I have been boycotting most of these guys for a few years now.
