As a general rule of thumb, every $1 we spend on physical items like new clothes or makeup, comes with 1kg of greenhouse gas pollution embedded in the production chain. This surprising statistic is behind this month’s 1 million women campaign’s SHOP focus. For the rest of September, we are being encouraged to think about how and where we shop, what we buy or whether we buy at all.

Some of their tips for more conscious consumption include buying secondhand or vintage clothing and learning more about eco and ethical Australian fashion labels. With Aussie women responsible for most of the purchasing decisions in any given household, it’s timely to think about how our consumption affects the world around us. You can get more terrific tips and read inspired posts at the 1 million women website – and remember, as Anna Lappe says, “Every time you spend money, you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want!”