Buy Local: It’s not just about food!
June 06, 2009
Most folks equate buy local with food. The foodies have done a wonderful job of setting the buy local stage and building a strong marketing foundation. The buy local movement has begun to shift into other markets such as clothing, toy manufacturing and household goods. I often find myself, for example, flipping my daughter’s toys over and examining where they were made; usually in China.
The benefits of buying local food are well documented:
Reduction in “food miles” and fossil fuels – produce most grocery store travels an average of 1500 miles; combustion of fossil fuels releases green house gases and impacts our environment in negative ways.
Fresher food – food is delivered when the product is prime
Healthier food – reduction in processing and use of preservatives
Less packaging (i.e., waste) - reduction in food miles = less packaging to protect the food
Connection to the grower and the land - if you're a regular at your local farmers' market you know what I am referring to
More $$ to the grower vs. the supplier – most $$ spent in a grocery store goes to the “middleman”
$$ stays local – see above
If you are wondering what you can do to reduce your food miles check out the 100 mile diet.
But this team is about reducing our bike miles, or the distance a bike item travels from the manufacturing plant to our home. Most of our bike products, many of which have hung in my own garage at one time or another, originate in Asia. Why did I purchase them? Two reasons: they were less expensive and/or were not available locally.
So what are the benefits of buying local bike products? If we use the list above as a guide I think we’ll see significant overlap between the two ideas.
Reduction in “bike miles” and fossil fuels – This is the case even if local bike manufactures are shipping their raw products from across the pond. Consider for a moment how many tubes of steal or rolls of fabric can be crammed into a shipping container.
Less packaging (i.e., waste) – Have you ever unpacked a bike product? Bikes themselves are the worst. My trash and recycling cans are full after building up one new bike.
Connection to the “builder” and a local bike shop – If you have ever hung out at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, or your local bike shop, you’ll know what I mean. You truly cannot beat personalized service and the satisfaction that comes from purchasing products from the actual person that created them.
More $$ to the builder/manufacturer vs. the supplier – I am no marketing guru but I gotta believe this holds true with bike products as well?
$$ stays local – Buying local bike products stimulates local economies and has the potential to increase employment opportunities. Recent developments in Portland, OR are a wonderful case study. Portland’s bike industry is worth $63 million to the regional economy and has created more than 800 jobs.
Stimulates local bike industry innovation and development – The cycle (excuse the pun) is vicious. When locals spend $$ on local bike products, the local bike industry reacts by taking development risks, designing new products and, in some cases, moving their headquarters to the region.
Next time you are in the market for a bike product consider local first (think globally: act locally as they say)! Many of the products you’re considering are available in your backyard!