2025 seems to be starting off to be a year of big changes. We have tariffs coming on US products, and while this seems like another terribly dumb idea from Trump, I see some good that can come from it!

I have seen so many friends and family members posting links to their favourite local and Canadian products, many of which I haven’t even heard of. Maybe this is the push that we need to focus on buying locally made products, which will help support our local economy, but also be better for the environment in the long run. No thanks to Trump of course!

One of my favourite Canadians to follow on Instagram is Sarah Robertson Barnes, who started a helpful chain of Canadian company recommendations, which you can find here.

I also recently watched the Netflix documentary Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy, and it was an impactful reminder of the work that we need to do as consumers to pressure companies into being more responsible for the products that they make. The areas that consumers can make the most impact is how they purchase clothing and electronics – these are the items that are contributing the most damage to our Earth.

If you are wondering how you can make an impact with your choices and purchases, here are a few ideas:

1. Avoid impulse shopping

Have you ever started online shopping just to see what was out there, or because you were bored? Have you ever bought something you saw at the store because you thought it was cute, but then brought it home and haven’t even opened it?

Be intentional when you go to the store, and only purchase things you actually need. If you see something cute, take a photo of it, and see if it is even remotely interesting to you a couple weeks or even days later. It usually isn’t. It’s the allure of something new and shiny in a store, especially if it’s on sale. But as soon as you bring it home, all of that lustre vanishes and you’re stuck finding a home for something else in your home that has more than you need.

When you purchase something, think about it’s “end of life” – what will you do with it when it inevitably breaks, wears out or becomes obsolete?

2. Shop secondhand

Antique markets, thrift stores, vintage shops, yard sales, Poshmark, FB marketplace or Kijiji. All of these are great options to find useful things, but without worry of the environmental impact of your purchase: the fossil fuels that go into manufacturing it, the plastic packaging that surrounds it, or the carbon footprint of shipping it.

3. Avoid packaging

Avoiding plastic packaging is a great way to help our environment, because although there are some things that can be recycled, plastics are not consistently done so. Glass and metal are almost infinitely recycled, but plastic is a petroleum product that can only be downcycled (if even that), and so it will eventually end up in the landfill or in microplastic form, ending up eventually in our food sources and water.

When you are shopping for groceries, try to purchase products that are sold in paper, metal or glass rather than plastic containers.

Shop at your local Bulk Barn store (or local bulk food store, if they have a BYO container program) on Sundays to save 15% on your purchases when you bring in your own container. They have an amazing selection of snacks, spices, dried beans/pasta, nut butters, candy, dried fruit and nuts, baking items, and more! Only purchase what you actually need, especially when you only want to give something a try.

Bring your own grocery bags to the store, rather than getting those terrible plastic “fabric” bags from the store every time you make a purchase. While there may have been good intentions behind those bags originally, I see so many of them in my client’s homes. The only way this works is if we actually REUSE them – which will also save you a few dollars at the store every time. Put a reminder in your phone, add it to your shopping list, have a foldable bag attached to your keys or purse, leave a bunch of bags in your car – do what you need to do to remember them!

4. Repair rather than replace

We have lost the skill to repair things like we used to have, whether it’s clothing or small electronic appliances, but even if you do not know how to fix certain things, there are people to help!

There are Repair Cafes popping up all over the place, including usually one every few months in the Peterborough area. You can find people to repair textiles, electronics, wood items and more! All for free!

You can also turn to resources like YouTube to find tutorials on how to repair something that is no longer working like it used to. Why replace something, when you can repair it for a nominal fee and reduce your environmental impact?

5. Shop local!

And, as a reaction to these new US tariffs, or to support your local economy in general, purchase from companies that are local to your area, or at least manufactured in Canada!

Go downtown and find a small company that sells clothing, electronics, or household goods. Find products on Etsy that are crafted locally and only sold online (and pay their shipping fees – don’t expect unreasonable free shipping like they offer at big corporations like Amazon).

A lot of people complain that shopping locally is more expensive, but if you are being more mindful of your purchases, shopping secondhand when possible, and repairing rather than replacing, then you will already be saving the money to make up for potentially higher costs at a local shop. Plus you will be putting money directly into your local economy, as well as in a small business owner’s hands. It’s a win-win situation, and a way forward for our society.

We can have a huge impact, if we all do our part! Drop a comment below with your favourite local (or Canadian) company!