I'm not sure, but according to this article it at least has some effect. Organic and Freetrade products, ethical investment, carbon offset goods and services... a large proportion of the growth in these must arise from consumers 'voting with their wallets' - both in terms of their unwillingess to buy goods which don't meet their ethical criteria, and in terms of their willingness to pay more, proportionally, for those which do.
Clearly in the retail sector, that last point represents the 'win-win' which the retailer is looking for...
Well, if there really is a causal link between ethical consumer preferences and retailer behaviour, my current wish is that it will have an effect on the packaging of consumer goods. The more difficult and expensive my local council makes it for me to get rid of my domestic rubbish, the more acutely I notice the enormous amount of packaging I have to dispose of, particularly plastics and colour-printed cardboard. As far as the latter is concerned, the council's current guidance is to tear it up into small pieces and include it with the compostable waste. However, I worry about the inks and dyes used to attract our attention to the product within.
After all, the safety leaflet which came with my latest colour ink-jet cartridge was not exactly reassuring about the nature of some of its contents. Here's a representative sample from the warnings:
"Ink may be harmful is swallowed. Avoid contact with eyes. Keep out of the reach of children. Contains nitrates. If ingested, seek immediate medical attention. Contains Reactive Red dye. May cause an allergic reaction. Harmful to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. ... Avoid release to the environment"
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