It’s become so normal to see a Made in China label that it’s shocking when you come across one that says Made in Canada. Topics like climate change and fast fashion have brought attention to the importance of lowering our carbon footprint and lead to many of us asking “what’s an alternative?”.

One way is to go local. Supporting local production is not only good for the economy, but also great for Mama Earth and it comes along with benefits. 

Community investment. When you shop locally, you put your money back into the hands of the makers and farmers in your community. This not only empowers them to keep growing, but you use your voice by voting with your wallet. Shopping locally opens a way for you to know where and who your product comes from. Smaller companies that make things in Canada care about the feedback they get from their customers and most times, they’re willing to take time to answer your questions. This leads to a business being more transparent.

Transparency leads to accountability on many levels. When a business is run locally, the owners can be in touch with the entire process of their product and are able to pop-in on their factories or farms unannounced. The ability to pop-in by surprise brings accountability to how the people behind the scenes are being treated. When we, as consumers, ask questions about the process, we’re acknowledging the importance of the impact it has on people and the planet.

Reduces environmental impact. Along with investing in your community’s growth, shopping locally reduces your carbon footprint. Every product has to travel to land in your hands. The further away a product comes from the more fossil fuels are burned and more harmful greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere. When you purchase locally, it cuts back on travel significantly, reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and lowering our carbon footprint.

Easier to go low-waste. The less distance an item has to travel, the less need for all the plastic wrap. Adapting a low-waste lifestyle is easy when you have access to locally made products. Even though our clothes from FRANC will travel by mail to get to you, we’re pretty proud of our compostable mailers.

When we become conscious of the impact every action has, we can bring change by the choices we make. Whether it’s grabbing produce grown in Canada at the grocery store, choosing to buy Canadian-made clothing, or supporting a local artisan, there are so many ways to switch it up and go local. With the world’s current situation, small local businesses need our support more than ever. I’m confident we can all pull together and create change—one locally made product at a time. 

May you find yourself full of peace, hope, and health.

Written By Jade Paxton for FRANC