New Year Resolutions - Buy Ethical Gifts for 2011

Not so long ago you'd have found it challenging to track down ethical goods full stop. Not long ago ethical goods were costly, exclusive and nearly impossible to find. The province of the few. These days the ethical goods initiative is going mainstream as more and more people make the leap, shopping responsibly rather than overlooking the serious side of our obsession with retail therapy.

If you haven't settled upon your New Year resolutions yet, 2011 may be the year to go ethical and dedicate yourself to shopping with a conscience.

Mindful shopping is starting to become increasingly popular too, as people start to question the values behind our consumer society. Less waste, more care. Less automatic extravagance, more consideration. Less impulse buying, more thoroughly considered purchases.Here's a number of useful tips for changing your shopping habits for the better in 2011:

1) purchase ethical products wherever possible, goods whose manufacturers and creators are treated fairly and paid a decent wage

2) decide whether you actually need a product prior to purchasing it, instead of indulging yourself in retail therapy for the sake of it. Yes, there is a wonderful glow when you first treat yourself. But it doesn't last long!

3) encourage friends and family to purchase ethically too

4) put away the cash you'd otherwise have frittered away on items you don't really want or need, and watch it grow. There is nothing more motivating than actually seeing first hand the advantages of altering your purchasing habits for the better

5) buy online if you find the high street too tempting. Typically it's also much easier to track down ethical goods suppliers online than offline

Don't forget that as an individual consumer you have the power to alter the way the planet works in the long run. Keep at it and together we'll try to make the world a better place!

Discover a fabulous choice of eco gifts and Fairtrade gifts at Green Tulip, the UK's leading ethical gift shop.