Conscious consumption: key to changing the world

Can we change the world? What is our real capacity to impact the environment? Lara de Castro, HR Business Partner at 11Onze, explains what conscious consumption is and how we can contribute to the sustainability of the planet with our daily purchasing decisions.

We often underestimate the impact that our individual actions have on the surrounding environment. But all actions, no matter how small, contribute to shaping the world. Lara de Castro explains it in the following video with a very obvious example.

As she warns, there are many people who think that an individual act is often “too weak” to have a significant impact on the environment, “but this is not the case”. Every action counts and has consequences that can add up to those of the rest of the community. The reality is that “our daily decisions are relevant, no matter how small“. In this sense, the role that all purchasing decisions play if we are conscious consumers is very obvious.

What is conscious consumption?

Conscious consumers are people who choose products and services with criteria that go “beyond value for money,” as they include environmental and social impact as a decisive element in their purchasing habits. One consequence is the commitment to local commerce, which “is a way of supporting local producers and avoiding the economic and environmental impact of transportation,” as Lara de Castro explains.

Another example of conscious consumption can be found in water. If we want to reduce pollution on the planet, we can replace the consumption of bottled water, “with all the drawbacks that we know plastic has,” with tap water treated with sustainable filters.

As Lara de Castro points out at the end of the video, if we all become more conscious “in the small details of everyday life” the reality is that “we can change the world.” The decision is ours.

If you want to discover how to drink the best water, save money and help the planet, go to 11Onze Essentials.

We are not sufficiently aware of the power we have as consumers to influence the economy. But we have to start believing it: citizens can change the market and make local and sustainable trade even more important.

The pandemic has made us rediscover the importance of community and proximity. Restrictions on mobility have made us realise that relying on products from the other side of the world makes no sense. In fact, we are still suffering from delays in the supply and trade of products because of the global confinement we have experienced and the geopolitical turmoil that never stops. 

When we talk about local products, we often only think of food products, but we must also think of services: telephony, health care, energy, finance… All these services are usually offered by large corporations that have their headquarters outside Catalonia and, therefore, do not invest their profits in the citizens of Catalonia. 

On the other hand, if we contract the services of companies, businesses or cooperatives in Catalonia, the profits obtained are invested in our community, and also contribute to providing work for thousands and thousands of people.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

We compile a list of the main apps for selling or buying all kinds of second-hand products. The sustainable trend of buying second-hand products is here to stay.

The world is constantly evolving, at the same time as people’s way of consuming is also changing. This is the origin of the Recommerce trend: the sale of second-hand goods, based on the circular economy: Reduce, reuse and recycle. This means that by reducing the consumption of new products, people save money while minimising their environmental impact. This predisposition to buy second-hand products has become widespread among people concerned about sustainability, and their responsibility when it comes to consuming goes beyond looking for the cheapest product. Today we would like to invite you to discover the world of recommerce, with different apps where you can find all kinds of second-hand products, from bicycles, clothes and cars to technological products. Welcome to the new era of a sustainable economy:

• Backmarket: This app is making a lot of noise online. With this app you can buy professionally reconditioned technology products at discounts of up to 70% off their original price. Smartphones, computer devices, televisions, cameras, drones, small household appliances. The application also acts as a guarantee, as well as a connector between sellers and customers.
• Letgo: Application to sell everything you no longer need, or to buy what you want, in a very simple and convenient way. The difference between this app and the others for buying and selling second-hand items is that this app has image recognition and artificial intelligence to be able to tag and catalogue the items for sale. In this app you can sell and buy books, cars, sports equipment, fashion, household items…
• Wallapop: This is undoubtedly the app par excellence for buying and selling second-hand products, with more than 15 million users. It is also similar to Letgo, where you can buy all kinds of products. A meeting point between sellers and buyers, where, through a conversation, the sale and purchase of the product is formalised.
• Coches: In this app you can buy and sell second-hand cars, pre-registered new cars, and even new cars. More than half of the vehicles on sale offer a guarantee, and you can find motorhomes, vans or even cars for which you don’t need a driving license. In short, the leading motoring app.

• Vinted: A community for selling second-hand clothes, through videos or images uploaded by sellers to offer their clothes. A sustainable and fun way, both to make some room in our wardrobe and also to renew it.
• Milanuncios: Classified as one of the most veteran, this application never goes out of fashion. With a simple design, since its creation in 2005 it has always managed to stay at the forefront of classified ads. Here you can find everything from jobs, clothes, and furniture, to renting and selling flats…
• Bkie: With cycling so fashionable, you couldn’t miss an app for buying and selling bikes and cycling products. A buying and selling application like any other, but with the particularity that it is focused on the cycling community.

We hope you liked the concept of recommerce, followed by the apps we have suggested. And don’t hesitate to put into practice the three R’s of the circular economy: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, also in your purchases.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

The Catalan brand of ecological detergents presents new fragrances and a jasmine-scented floor cleaner. 3 lots will be raffled among the people who comment on this news!

The collaboration between 11Onze and Natulim continues with the aim of offering useful products for the people of La Plaça. Now, the company led by David Weiss and Lluís Montull, presents new fragrances for washing clothes and a product that customers demanded: a soil cleaner.

The detergents can be unscented, with a floral scent or with a lavender scent. The floor cleaner is available with a jasmine scent and can clean 100 square meters with just one soluble strip of soap, which is placed directly in the bucket. The product is designed for all types of floors, including wood and marble.

What can you win at La Plaça?

Among all the people who comment on this article, we will draw 3 Natulim lots that will include:

-2 Natulim natural detergent.

-2 Natulim floral detergent.

-2 Natulim lavender detergent.

-2 Natulim jasmine floor cleaner.

In total: clean clothes and floors for quite a long time, really.

How to participate?

All you have to do is comment on this article and tell us what you like most or least about Natulim.

Among all the participants we will do a draw and we will contact you to send you your Natulim lot. There will be 3 winners and you have time to participate until August 3rd.

Obviously, to participate you need to be registered at La Plaça, so if you know someone who might be interested in this promotion, let them know! If you want to register at La Plaça, click here.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

Do you know how much water you are drinking and how much you could save with a water filter? Small changes in our consumption habits can lead to significant savings. Amadeu Vilaginés, from the 11Onze product team, explains how to save hundreds of euros a year by purchasing a tap filter instead of bottles of water.

We often think that saving money means depriving ourselves of luxuries that require major expenses, such as going on holiday or having the latest generation mobile phone. Yet, there are smaller, recurrent expenses on products or services that we consume on a daily basis that we can reduce by simply changing our consumption habits. The result can be a considerable amount of savings at the end of the year.

As Amadeu Vilaginés explains, “water is a basic good, essential for us, but we do not see it as a luxury product, since our homes have running water“. But tap water doesn’t always taste good or give us enough confidence, so many people end up buying bottled water. This is one of the so-called “ant costs“, which end up having a significant effect on our wallets.

Reducing a recurring cost, also for the environment

The fact that we can find bottles of water at affordable prices in all supermarkets may lead us to think that our expenditure on bottled water is relatively insignificant. But, as Vilaginés points out, “this is a recurrent cost, which may seem very small when we look at it individually, but once we add them all up, the difference is clear to see“.

A family of four consuming the recommended daily amount of water, 2 litres per day, in bottles of water, accumulates 45 kg of plastic waste at the end of the year, and an average expenditure of 700 euros per year. On the other hand, Vilaginés details that by consuming tap water, the total cost, at the end of the year, for this family would be only 2 euros. And for people concerned about the bad taste of tap water or the chemicals it may contain, water filters are an equally sustainable solution for the environment and our wallets.

If you want to discover how to drink the best water, save money and help the planet, go to 11Onze Essentials.

Tourism is one of the businesses that shows one of the highest capital flow worldwide. As per the report from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), in 2019, 1.4 billion of international tourists were recorded and up to between 100 and 120 million of jobs are linked to it.

It is, therefore, a sector with an undeniable weight in the world’s economy, and more particularly, with a direct affectation to practically all the inhabitants in the planet either in an active form as travellers or in a passive one as locals.

The touristic sector asks for regulation and responsibility

Given its importance, since years ago there are more and more organisations, Companies and collective bodies that ask for a sustainable tourism system that can be kept over time and nourish the population. Everything points to the fact that this industry will continue growing during the next years and, therefore, if the current model does not change, the negative impact that it generates will increase at the same rate. We are all currently familiarised with sustainability as a concept and we even have adopted certain daily routines that contribute to respect the environment. An attitude that changes more or less when we travel: we leave lights switched on, recycling, take care of public spaces, using more ecological transport ways, spend the necessary water, using less plastic … actions that we may miss when we are on holidays and which, by themselves, do not generate an impact, although they may mean a higher issue when they are multiplied by 1.4 billion people.

Within this context, and with the urgency to change the touristic model into a more responsible perspective, it pops-up the sustainable tourism concept, understood as the one which “satisfies current needs without compromising the capacity of future generations to satisfy their own needs”, as it is described in the Brundtland report. It will be about then, to minimise the negative impact that tourism is currently generating and to maximise its benefits, mainly from the three big pillars: environmental, sociocultural and economical.

To reduce the environmental impact to preserve future 

Tourism very much depends on the environmental quality to survive and evolve but, paradoxically, this is one of the main activities that it harms. Infrastructures construction like airports and roads, highly polluted transport ways by land, sea and air, creation of equipment and touristic resorts like restaurants, shopping centres, golf fields or sportive areas are examples of the negative impact that it brings to any region. All of this brings also risk to the flora and fauna in the area, which in the past years has worsened the situation of hundreds of species, especially the marine ones, which have not been able to overcome the changes that human pollution has caused in their natural habitat.  

In parallel, it has been thanks to tourism that some natural areas have become protected areas or they are areas with especial care being taken orientated to preserve the space looking forward to the future. This is the positive impact where sustainable tourism should be betting: to achieve the maintenance of care of spaces both natural and urban, by governments’ organisms to favour both, local citizens and future visitors.

Controlling the sociocultural impact and to bet for the diversity wealth

The willingness to often travel comes motivated by the restlessness to know other Countries, together with everything that this implies: culture, language, food and costumes. Diversity within the globalism is foreseen, and this arouses respect, tolerance and knowledge by both parts, but especially from the visitor’s point of view. For sustainable tourism it is essentially this cultural preservation but, amongst everything the respect for it. Guaranteeing a value experience therefore, must mean to guarantee sociocultural wealth.

A non-planned tourism, other than being a nuisance to local inhabitants, can bring miserable consequences on their lives and their quality of life, an issue that some areas of Catalonia have already suffered first-hand in terms of gentrification, this is a disproportionate increase of dwellings’ and plots’ prices that turn into, those being inhabitants, to look for more economically viable alternatives, giving way to those who can invest, a fact that may not have a direct relation to tourism in some cases but which, without doubt, has meant an aggravating item. 

The increase in prices in touristic  is one of the reasons to destabilise local people, forcing them to assume higher prices, well above the standard prices they could find in any other street of the city outside the touristic path. If we look at Barcelona, coronavirus crises forced many restaurants in touristic areas to lower their prices to match those offered in the rest of the city, showing the prices war that tourism business means. Avoiding this through regulation policies could not only protect local citizens but ensuring tourists pay for the right price of the product.

Positive economic impact: investing in people

From and economical point of view, it makes sense that as a business, tourism should bring benefits to the related area, but the challenge is making it in an equitable and sustainable way. It will bring nothing to improve the turnover if this does not bring a positive impact in the welcoming area. This is, to have a true benefit it has to mean an advantage to all implied parties and, if managed in a controlled and efficient way, tourism can have the enormous power of enriching the population through the creation and maintenance of jobs both, direct and indirect. 

On the contrary some multinationals, way away from applying a sustainable tourism system, choose to do the other way around, what is known as “scape”. These are business models where profits are not left in the welcoming Country nor bring any profit to the Country, like in hotels with an all-inclusive regime, where customers do not go away from the resort and, therefore, do not generate a positive impact to the area’s economy. They do create an impact indeed but negative as far as taxes is concerned, since the required infrastructures to welcome tourism are often financed through this business. It will require though to weight the generated impact of tourism against the cost that population  pays for. If there is no balance, then we are presumably facing a non-sustainable system and which will need to be revisited.

Tourism is in the end, our joint responsibility since we have all been involved for some time. There are actions that depend only on the individual responsibility and commitment to bet for a sustainable life model, also when we travel. The other side of the management, and that with a higher impact, belongs to the private and public organisations that will need to plan tourism facing next coming years with a clear motive: a bet for sustainability is a bet for the future.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

In summer, more people visit the sea and the mountains, and unconsciously we put ourselves to the test again, as a society, in terms of the way we relate to nature. Analysing our civility will help us to maintain the self-critical spirit necessary for personal and collective growth. If nature is everything, so is civility.

Whether due to leisure practices or industrial activity, in Catalonia in recent decades 54% of species living in rivers and lakes have disappeared, 30% from agricultural areas and meadows, and 10% from forests and scrubland. The conclusions of this study, conducted by the Department de Territori i Sostenibilitat, point to human actions such as the alteration of natural habitats, soil exploitation, and climate change, but the reality is that we can all contribute if we carry out uncivil or disrespectful behaviour when visiting natural areas.

The human footprint

Whether on holiday or walking around our environment, we have surely all witnessed uncivil behaviour that endangers the natural environment and even people’s safety. We are referring to attitudes such as making noise, littering the environment, leaving waste, disturbing or harming wildlife, disturbing the tranquillity of other people, especially local residents, or reckless behaviour such as smoking or lighting fires in areas at risk of fire.

As tourists, we look for quiet places where we can enjoy nature, but it will not always be the case with other visitors. And while everyone may have different concepts of hiking, picnics, or tranquillity, there are limits such as leaving waste or making too much noise that cross the line of civility in these spaces.

Code of conduct in National Parks

In recent years, virtually all natural parks in Catalonia have created codes of conduct or recommendations that all visitors have to follow with a single objective: to preserve the territory. This is the case of the Parc Nacional d’Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici, which welcomes more than half a million visitors annually. Such many visitors can jeopardize the biodiversity of the area, and even the safety of hikers if the right measures are not taken. So, what are the rules?

Before the hike

• Find information about where you are going, what the area is like, the weather, and what route you want to follow. Bringing the right equipment will be key to having a good experience.
• Prepare meals according to the duration of the hike and always taking into account the waste that we can generate, since we will have to take it with us until we can dispose of it properly.
• If we take our pets, we should keep them on a leash and take care of their hydration.
• If we take our vehicle, respect the speed limits, and do not make more noise than necessary. When parking, try to park in designated and marked areas.
• Use public transportation to access the park whenever possible.

During the hike

• Do not leave the marked route to avoid getting lost, but above all, avoid stepping into areas that are not intended for visitors, so as not to damage the fauna and flora.
• Keep a safe distance between other hikers or cyclists.
• Swimming in rivers and natural pools is not allowed, since although it may seem like a natural activity, the reality is that it can alter and pollute the water.
• Eat in the authorized areas. And if the route does not allow it, try to do it without leaving residues.
• Lighting fires is prohibited. A measure that is especially enforced in certain areas or periods of drought, but that applies to all natural areas. Therefore, neither gas canisters, nor smoking is allowed.
• Do not take anything that does not belong to you, neither stones nor plants. Much less hunting activities. If we visit the area, it is to enjoy it as it is.

Ethics and civility, a personal commitment

In short, complying with the standards previously described is nothing more than an act of civility that, if it does not come from within, it will come from compliance with the current regulations. We recommend you read “Educar la convivència. La pràctica del civisme” by the philosopher Francesc Torralba, a brief document that deepens and makes us reflect on the relationship between civic values and ethics.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

Now that there is speculation of a definitive cut-off of Russian gas supplies to Europe, it is worth considering several green alternatives that will allow us to reduce dependency and save on our gas and electricity bills.

The energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine has shown that “renewable energies and energy efficiency not only help us to curb climate change“, as 11Onze agent Marifé Fariñas explains, but also help to reduce energy dependence on other countries.

Unlike fossil fuels, a great advantage of renewable energies is that they are unlimited. They also help to reduce climate change, since the use of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas or coal generates carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.

Green alternatives

Here are five options to reduce energy dependence and save on your gas and electricity bills:

Solar energy. Installing solar panels to harness solar radiation can even make your home self-sufficient from an energetic point of view.

Geothermal energy. This is an energy that allows the temperature of the home to be regulated and hot water to be produced thanks to the constant temperature of the subsoil.

Aerothermal. The heat pump extracts energy from the air in one place and transfers it to another. This system is used as an alternative energy source for heating and air conditioning.

Bioethanol. Bioethanol cookers and fireplaces can be very efficient alternatives. One litre of bioethanol provides an output of three to six hours and is equivalent to a 3,000-watt radiator.

Biomass. This fuel uses natural resources such as olive stones, pieces of nuts or shells. Its combustion does not produce toxic emissions, making it environmentally friendly, and it is a short-cycle product.

As Marifé Fariñas explains, although the initial costs may be higher when installing alternative energies, it is worth investing in them if we take into account “energy efficiency and the profitability of the investment”.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

We are all aware of the need to reduce plastic consumption to mitigate its impact on the planet. It is therefore important that we are proactive in making small changes to our habits to eliminate or make better use of plastics.

The enormous environmental problems caused by single-use plastics are well documented. Every year we dump millions of tonnes of plastic waste into the seas and oceans, literally forming vast islands of non-biodegradable rubbish that accumulate thanks to ocean currents.

Governments, corporations, and major supermarket brands are implementing changes to reduce their consumption and mitigate the environmental impact of the plastic waste generated. Still, we can harness the power we have as consumers to spur a paradigm shift that can wait no longer.

So, here are five habits that we can include in our daily routine to easily reduce the amount of plastic we use.

Use cloth bags

Despite the fact that the ban on the giveaway of plastic bags came into force in Catalonia in March 2017 and that from 1 January 2021 there will be a ban on the giveaway of lightweight plastic bags offered to consumers, we still use bags that, although compostable, contain a large amount of plastic. Carrying cloth bags, a basket, or a shopping trolley saves us unnecessary plastic consumption.

Buy food wholesale

Buying in bulk eliminates unnecessary packaging and promotes responsible consumption because it allows us to take from the shop only what we will consume. Our bags and packaging, preferably glass, can be reused many times.

Use environmentally friendly detergents

Some of the most common ingredients in conventional detergents can be highly harmful to the environment. Fortunately, there are cleaning products made with ecological criteria, such as Natulim’s biodegradable detergent strips, which do not generate environmental waste and avoid the use of plastic in their packaging.

Eliminate single-use products

Disposable products such as plastic cutlery, plates, cups, straws, and razors may be practical, but they create large amounts of waste that could easily be avoided by replacing them with products made of glass, metal, or other materials.

Avoid or recycle coffee capsules

It goes without saying that buying ground coffee and making coffee with a traditional coffee machine is much more environmentally friendly than using coffee capsules. That said, not everyone has the time or patience to make coffee in the traditional way once they are used to single-serve pods. Fortunately, some capsule manufacturers offer recycling schemes to take advantage of this waste and give it a second life.

If you want to wash your clothes without polluting the planet, 11Onze Recommends Natulim.

Price, sustainability, location, and awareness. Factors to take into account when deciding where to stay when travelling. The possibilities are many and varied, but which one best suits your needs?

The summer holidays are here. Undoubtedly, a good opportunity to carry out one of the hobbies that we miss the most when work forces us to stay at home: travelling. Far away, near, mountain, beach… the aim is to disconnect for a few days. This is probably where the most recurrent question comes into play and one of the main dichotomies when it comes to travelling: staying in a flat or in a hotel?

Hotel, flat, campsite, caravan… where to stay?

It is undeniable that platforms such as Airbnb or Booking offer very competitive prices that put the hotel sector at a clear disadvantage. They can do so precisely because they are websites where anyone can make one of their properties available to the public and, therefore, everyone sets the price.

In this type of accommodation you won’t find hotel services that make your experience more comfortable, but you will have a space set up to live in for a few days. So, you won’t have the option of having lunch delivered to your bed, but you can make it yourself and save money.

Campsites and caravans are cheaper forms of travel that have become very popular in the wake of the coronavirus and its restrictions. In fact, many families decided to rent a caravan and travel around the country, discovering new places closer to home. Knowing this information, campsite owners and caravan renters have made very competitive prices available to the public. However, it is better to book early, because last summer the caravan sites were sold out very quickly!

Travelling with a conscience

An environmental study conducted by Airbnb in 2016 already revealed that staying in flats, or as they call it ‘Home Sharing’, is more environmentally friendly than staying in hotels. To reach this conclusion, they found that 48% less water and 78% less energy were used compared to hotels. They also added that the owners instilled the notion of recycling in their guests and were thus able to maintain the sustainability of the space. But, as always, everything has its upsides and downsides.

The increase in supply in terms of tourist flats has generated a turistification and, consequently, unstoppable gentrification. In fact, Barcelona is one of the cities that has suffered the most from this effect: the expulsion of residents from their rented flats to transform them into tourist accommodation. Associations from different Barcelona neighbourhoods complained that there was less and less space to live in their own city. A fact derived from the ease of making a place available for tourists to spend their holidays, even if this means the expulsion of a resident.

From here, it is a matter of assessing preferences and making your days off a real experience. Each option offers different advantages and depends on the type of trip you want to make: relaxed, more autonomous, adventurous… it’s up to you. And once you have chosen your accommodation, all you have to do is enjoy your long-awaited holiday!

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!