Cost and correlation:

Why is full-Time eco more expensive?

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Think back to what you did today; switching on the bedroom lights, running the tap in the bathroom sink, taking the car to work or the bus to school, choosing veg at the supermarket, and the oven you switched on to cook your dinner.

In modern society, inevitably everything we do contributes to the 41.6 billion tons of CO2 suffocating the atmosphere every year. 

Many are quick to believe that sustainable alternatives are the solution to all those problems. Organic produce, chemical-free soap, recycled tableware, the list goes on. Often overlooked is that these are almost always significantly more expensive than their villainized twins, and long term, those prices can make a serious dent in your pocket… 

Some everyday examples are: 

Average prices of: - 

Electric car: £50,000

ICE car: £27,750

Tesco's Cucumber: £0.89

Tesco's Organic cucumber: £1.20

Plastic bubble wrap, 500mm x 100M: £11.63                                 Different forms of paper padding have become very popular

Paper bubble wrap, 500mm x 100M: £23.82                       with packing and shipping companies. Prime Lane aims to use and 

                                                                                                        promote more sustainable packing methods at cheap prices.

Apart from eco-friendly, many products with ethics-oriented goals have higher prices than those that opt for the cheapest sale. 

Evidently, the companies striving for sustainability will sell for higher, but why?

For different goals, different measures will be taken; caged eggs disregard animal wellbeing, but the process is faster, and requires less space, and therefore can be sold for less money. 

Free range eggs are more moral, and ensure better quality of life for the chickens, but consist of larger pens and an overall slower procedure. This means that to make the same profit, those companies would have to charge more. 

But why do eco products cost more?

Many factors can affect the amount of money you spend on gift wrap at a shop, but the most common ones are:

• Plastic is a cheap material, and choosing to not use that will mean opting for more expensive choices, such as glass.
• It is also very easy to produce, and is used in many products due to its practicality; other raw materials are produced in smaller quantities.
• Many standard processes, such as GMO farming, utilise pesticides, harmful chemicals, and toxic fossil fuels, but which are also very effective for fast and economic results. If someone decides to omit these, they will be compromising practicality, resulting in a more expensive product.
• 52% of consumers globally are yet to make the switch to a more sustainable lifestyle because the costs for these products are so much higher. If the demand stays low, then the prices won't.

​The fact remains that, despite many companies and individuals heading down the eco path, the efforts aren't having the desired impact, or the necessary one. You don't need graphs and charts to notice the obvious; news stories on wildfires and floods are becoming more frequent; freezing winters and sweltering summers globally; dread and anxiety spreading as more and more people grasp how real this all is.