Today’s homework: examining my supply chain.

This exercise was spurred by this Chatelaine article that asks “Are you Inadvertently Supporting Trump’s Re-Election?”.

I have used ULINE for my packaging products (bubble mailers, glue dots, plastic bags, paper bags) since I started. I’ve known for the last year or so they were not ideal because they didn’t have the values I stand for. But, when stuck suddenly needing supplies, I reordered because I didn’t have the time to do the research then, heading into the holiday season.

This stops now.

As of today, I’ve started my research (Excel sheet and all) to find different suppliers for these goods. An additional column on this spreadsheet is looking into what politics this company supports financially. I have the privilege of being able to vote with my wallet. It’s about time I used it.

Any of the companies on this list (or that you’ve heard about otherwise in the news lately) make you stop and think about your personal impact?

A few notes:
My goal is to be able to find alternatives without needing to increase my prices, but if necessary, I think a small increase in price for this greater good is worth it.
I am not going to throw out materials I already have, I do not see a net benefit there.
I am also going to look for more environmentally sustainable options for some of those items.

If you’re also a maker/small business owner and want to collaborate on researching options for things like this (must also love spreadsheets), let me know. Maybe it can turn into a resource.