Let’s forgets about the price of products for a moment, let’s think about what else is important to you. Service, quality, a reputable company, what do you analyse before you purchase a product? The reality is that majority of us are guilty of being led by price. When looking at similar products, we usually opt for the cheapest option.
During a recent trip to Miami I called into a local store to buy a cold drink. My first reaction was to stick to what I know and buy a drink from a familiar brand, but I noticed like-minded consumers reaching in to grab a certain drink similar to mine. This unfamiliar bottle had a message that stood out to me
This bottle is made almost entirely from plants…
Being a plastic producer it immediately caught my attention, how can a bottle seemingly made of plastic be made from plants? I continued to read.
…which pull CO2 from the air (instead of adding more). And because the premium we pay for our spring water goes directly into improving local water infrastructure, we’re actually helping the small American city we source from. One bottle might not save the world but it’s a start. So thanks, and nice move!
This premium product obviously had a higher premium and for that reason I wasn’t going buy it. But it wasn’t like I couldn’t afford it and we were only talking about another $0.79 (£0.68p). So, I purchased it and gave myself a metaphoric pat on the back!
The next day, during an excursion in the baking sun, my thirst needed further quenching. Just like the day before, I headed into a shop to buy a cold drink. The plastic free drink from the previous day wasn’t available, nor were their similar alternatives, so I did what was necessary and bought a drink in a plastic bottle. This drink was 3 times the price of what I’d paid for plastic free bottle but I needed a drink and had no option but to pay the price. Having my decision forced left me feeling like I had been taken advantage of and in addition to this I was once again guilty of adding to the world’s plastic waste problem.
Later I reflected on what had happened and changed my guilt into a positive as today I may have added to the world’s plastic pile but the previous day I didn’t, and this is my point. MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU CAN!
If you want to help and make a difference there are just two choices you need make
1. Can I afford it?
2. Am I helping to sustain the planet from buying a product that helps me to do this?
If the answer to both these questions is yes, then you should. Question what you are buying and take ownership as it is you that will make the difference. I can guarantee that you will feel better for doing so. So now when you think about price, what value do you put on our planet?