Discernment

During one of last year’s lockdowns, I ran out of vegan hair conditioner. Doing my weekly shop in Lidl, I found Garnier Hair Food which claims to be vegan. I did a quick search online and it seemed okay but I have since found out that Garnier sell cosmetic products to China where animal testing is required by law. I won’t be buying it again.

I was thrilled to find herbs in a recylable plastic cover, allegedly biodegradable, locally supplied from an Irish farmer. Yesterday I was working in the garden and using some home made compost. Out comes the biodegradable cover, completely intact after a year in the compost bin. Hmmm. I won’t be buying that again either.

These days it is quite difficult to make accurately informed and ethical buying decisions that treat animals and the earth with respect. A comprehensive search of many sources is needed and then you just have to hope for the best. With the biodegradable cover, the evidence of my own eyes says that if it hasn’t biogdegraded in a year, then that is not a product I am going to support. The supermarkets are finally beginning to take notice and make changes to the packaging industry. This is led by us consumers – what we buy, what we boycott, and the feedback we give. It’s not easy to discern wisely and well but it’s worth the effort to do our best for our animal friends and the only home we have, Planet Earth. Blessings.