Every day goods are bought and sold. I would have to say, that where I live, most of these goods come from China, India, or some other country than my own. I am sure this is fairly common in other nations too. With the possible exception of food, a lot of merchandise comes from other countries.
Some people know some of the problems associated with buying foreign made goods, but fail to understand how serious it is, and the long term results.
I want to state this is not an attack on China, or any country, obviously if you live in China you should buy the goods made there, similarly if you live in Canada, try to seek out Canadian Made goods, and so forth. Here is why.
- Sending Your Money Elsewhere. When you buy something made in another country, you are sending your money to that country, thus removing that money from your local economy. Effectively weakening your country, strengthening another.
- Waste. You don't see it, but there is a huge amount of waste, the garbage that is packed around items to get them from one country to another without breaking. Styrofoam and boxes, thousands of tons of garbage is generated daily and added to landfills here. You might not even see most of it, as it is in the garbage behind the retail shops that unload the items.
- Transportation Pollution. When something has to come from far away, obviously there is transportation, be this plane, train, truck, or ship, transportation involves pollution. The further away things come, the more pollution is generated.
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- Different Pollution Regulations. I am sure we all know that different countries have different regulations, when you buy a product made in a country with lower pollution standards, you are supporting their decision to allow pollution. In some parts of China the air is so heavily polluted they never see the sun, it is only a glow behind the smog.
- Jobs. You are paying for people to work in another country, similar to the first reason, you are effectively putting people out of work in your own country. This is tough, if items were made cheaper where you live, then you probably would buy more of them, however there are undoubtedly some items made in your own country at a reasonable price, consider looking for these items and supporting that industry if you feel it is worthwhile.
- Hazardous Chemicals. Sometimes items are treated to be preserved, and sometimes these chemicals are not entirely safe. I know of a case where a girl was opening skirts from India, she was in a small closed in room, steaming the skirts so they were not wrinkled. As it happened, the steam released a chemical used to preserve the skirts, making the girl ill, actually sending her to hospital. Ask a person who works in the receiving area of any major retailer, and they will tell you that they experience harsh chemical smells when they open some crates from foreign lands.
- Labor Laws. Indeed some countries have looser labor laws than others. Because of the lure of income in factories, some parents put their children into factories for income. When you support these factories you are supporting child labor and other poor labor regulations, like longer work hours, and fewer breaks. Remember, the products are cheaper for a reason.
- Whose Backyard? Just because it is not in your backyard, does not mean that it is okay to destroy an area. Basically we feel that we do not want to destroy, or rape, our part of the earth. Nobody wants clear cutting or a quarry in their back yard, yet products must come from somewhere. If we call ourselves "Green" we need to remember that products must come from somewhere. You may be destroying the rainforest, a mountain, or a river.
- Stop Rewarding Unethical Companies. Many companies set up shops in China, Mexico, or India, because they can exploit the workers and take advantage of lower wages. They do not need to care about pollution standards if there are none, so they can make their factories cheaper. Many of these companies are indeed American, or European owned. You reward them for behaving in an unethical way every time you buy a product made by them in a foreign land. Also these companies are clearly in it for themselves. Taking money and cutting corners, they may be owned by the country you live in, but they clearly are not worried about helping the economy at home, only about making more profit for themselves.
- What is in the Boxes? Not often, but it happens, sometimes something other than merchandise is hiding in the boxes from other countries. A friend of mine was working unpacking boxes in a retail store, when later one evening her arm began to ache and became swollen. Turns out a spider had bitten her. It is not unheard of for deadly spiders and even snakes to enter a country via fruit or other items.
All in all, every action we take, every purchase we make, can either help our planet, or harm it. What you buy, where you buy from, and how much you buy, ultimately determines the face of change for our world. What is it worth to you to save a few dollars buying something made elsewhere? Unless you live in China, do not buy things made their. The same goes for India, and all other countries. Unless you live in the USA, do not buy products made there either.
