Hey all,
Recently I’ve been trying to work on purchasing more products made here in Canada as opposed to down south or overseas, reason being to help decrease my environmental footprint, as well as to keep my money supporting businesses based in Canada, especially with the tariffs that might be coming in the near future.
I was curious if there were some good tips to help find products made within our borders. Some stuff has been easy, like swapping from Silk to Earth’s Own for example due to labeling on the package that states where the product was manufactured, but other stuff is a bit of a pain since it doesn’t seem to indicate where the product is manufactured or at the very least if it was imported, just where the company’s head office is located.
While my main concern is with groceries since I’ve been trying to purchase more second-hand as of late, I was curious as to what some good all-around tips are for finding Canadian products. I’m willing to spend a little more if needed, I prefer to bank my money in my morals and not in convenience.
Look for local craft or art shows. This can help you find local crafters that make some common items like socks, soaps, etc. Hand-knitted socks are the best.
Other than that, for more commercial things, watch labeling (as you already are), go to farmer’s markets, choose local grocer cooperatives (they’re more likely to carry locally produced goods), etc.
If the raw materials come from somewhere else the shipping footprint will be the same or greater than what it would be for a foreign-made product, though. (Which is what OP is concerned about)