Ethical shopping in Luxembourg Social commitment and eco-responsibility to foster a fairer society and reduce the impact on our planet
The protection of human rights and the environment are major challenges for our society and many citizens are playing an active role on a daily basis. Ethical shopping is one of the first steps that a caring consumer can take in order to bring about change. Follow us on a journey of ethical food and clothes shopping in Luxembourg: we can point you in the right direction in terms of good ideas, shops and positive initiatives and help you to embrace social engagement and eco-friendly consumer choices.
Local, seasonal, organic and fair - the food on our plate
We eat several times a day, so the choices we make concerning the food we buy and cook have an immediate impact on the environment. Sustainable food refers to the consumption of local and seasonal produce from fair trade, organic or integrated agriculture.
Where can I buy local and seasonal products? Fresh produce markets sell seasonal fruit, fresh vegetables and locally sourced meat which will make your mouth water! It's an ideal solution for ethical shoppers. In Luxembourg City, the Stater Maart (on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Place Guillaume) the Bouneweger Maart (on Tuesdays, Place Léon XIII) are the largest local markets. Also, the Glacismaart is open every third Sunday of the month, from March to November.
If you're looking for fair trade products, Gringgo is the place to go! Its produce is available via its website gringgo.lu. Following its motto 'Don't wait, act', the cooperative is a marketplace for suppliers and, above all, consumers who are looking to embrace a fairer form of trade. Herbal teas, pasta, tinned organic vegetables, oils or honey, among others items, are available online. You can opt for healthier food choices while supporting the regional economy and nurturing social cohesion.
The newcomer to fair trade is Kilogram.lu. The company's commitments are based on three pillars: local, organic and packaging-free. Indeed, the producers and artisans with whom Kilogram works are less than 100km from their warehouse, the products they sell are certified organic or Demeter and consigned in reusable jars, reducing packaging to a strict minimum. With its "Simply Sustainable" moto, the website offers a simple online shopping solution to consume locally and reduce waste at the same time.
Working together to tackle food waste
Did you know that one-third of food produced globally is wasted? At the same time, approximately one billion people across the world suffer from hunger. Besides the moral obligation to tackle this affliction, we must not ignore the ecological scale of the problem. In fact, one third of all cultivable land is exploited unnecessarily, with huge amounts of water wasted: up to 250km3 per year! On top of that figure, let us not forget the 3.3 gigatonnes of CO2 released into the atmosphere.
What can we do? The website of the Anti-gaspi (Anti-waste) project offers tips on how to reduce your food waste on a daily basis; for example, plan your shopping trip in advance; don't break the cold chain and keep your refrigerator clean and tidy as food will last longer.
Finished shopping? It's time to cook and recycle properly
An anti-waste approach to purchasing should be supplemented by good habits in the kitchen, for example:
- Re-using leftovers creatively to make other meals using these anti-waste recipes.
- Put on lid on it! When boiling water, put a lid on your pot as you will save time and use less energy!
- Sort your waste, including biodegradable waste, which can be composted.
Second-hand offers a second life to clothes
Have you ever wondered where, how and by whom your clothes are made? In our global world, our clothes make a long journey, which is not always easy to follow, before they reach the shops. Furthermore, the social and environmental challenges of the global textile industry are immense.
An industry that exploits its workers and pollutes the planet
Of the 60 million people working in manufacturing, 80% are exploited women who receive extremely low wages, no social protection or cover and are often exposed to toxic substances. Moreover, fashion industry is one of the heaviest polluters in the world. Did you know, for example, that the intensive use of fertilisers or the monoculture of cotton, which uses a lot of water, has a negative impact on biodiversity and underground fauna?
On its website, the Rethink Your Clothes campaign raises awareness and sounds the alarm on fast fashion, which has had a profound impact on the clothing-consumption habits of millions of people in recent years: trends are constantly changing, clothes are only kept for a few months and consumers are constantly pushed to buy more... What can we do? Consume less and make more ethical choices!
Currently, slow fashion offers various alternatives: vintage, second-hand, rental and labelled clothing, such as Fairtrade certified products.
In Luxembourg, second-hand clothes shops have the wind in their sales. Here is a small selection:
- First & Second Hand Concept Luxembourg (in Belair, Luxembourg City) offers high-end clothing, with a wide range of handbags.
- Royal Second Hand also sells clothes, shoes and second-hand bags from leading brands. The shop is located in the upper town of Luxembourg City.
- Trouvailles, as its name indicates, is brimming with good deals in its 300m2 shop in the Station area in Luxembourg city.
- At the Lena Second Hand Shop in Limpertsberg, Luxembourg City, you can buy and sell your second-hand clothes.
Donate your clothes and contribute to a good cause
Perhaps you don't feel like buying but would like to donate your clothes to a good cause? Through your purchases, would you like to support a non-profit organisation? Is this possible?
Of course! The second-hand shop Vintage Mo(o)d is a project launched in 2016 by the Red Cross Luxembourg. It sells donated second-hand clothes. The shop is located in Livange; it is open to the general public and the organisation, using the proceeds of its sales, buys clothes more adapted to those in need. 12 collection points are situated throughout the country to facilitate donations.
For its part, Caritas Luxembourg has a network of second-hand clothes shops called the Kleederstuff, which accept donations in kind. The profits generated from sales are used to finance the associations projects in Luxembourg. The shops are located in Esch-sur-Alzette, Diekirch in Rédange.
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