no to “made in china”
for several years now, we’ve been avoiding “made in china” goods, at least where ever we can. when we were still in germany, it was fairly easy. everything was clearly marked so you know where your H&M t-shirt was sewn, or where your washing machine was assembled. apart from that, most people would rather spend more on quality proven-and-tested items. buy less, but better quality. and for a lot of people, better quality equates “made in germany”… or europe, at least.
here in singapore, it’s quite difficult to avoid stuff from the mainland. often there just are no alternatives. while many products are sourced from other countries all over the world, made-in-china goods are commonplace, probably almost as if they’re local. understandable, of course, given the country’s ties to the mainland.
most people who get wind of our choice to avoid things made in china scoff at us. they probably thought that made-in-china goods are taking over the world and resistance is futile. well, to be honest, there were times i also thought the same. does it really matter if we buy a wall clock made in china? or those juicy, crunchy pears that cost half of those blush pears from south africa — maybe just a couple won’t be so bad? i remember last year, i was desperately looking for crocs for jan that were made elsewhere, but in the end, i had no choice but to take a deep breath, squeeze my eyes shut, and pay for the china-made caymans.
but after the recent melamine milk scandal, our resolve to boycott made in china has strengthened. it’s one thing when a production gets contaminated inadvertently with hazardous materials, or are simply sub-specs (as they claim in previous toy and drug recalls). but when you purposely add an ingredient that’s not supposed to be there, such as melamine in milk– in MILK, for heaven’s sake!– you show the world what kind of morals and scruples you have. if you can tamper with milk and medicines, who knows what you can do with canned foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, toys, electronics, textiles, etc etc etc…!
is it possible to live without china-made goods? possible, yes, but it’s not easy. if you’d like to try, perhaps read these first:
What to do when everything is ‘Made in China?’
No More Made in China
Not Made in China Life
unfortunately, the Boycott Made in China is no longer live.
we’re not rich. we don’t have a big house with 10 carports. we live as frugally as we can, and we try to save where possible. but you won’t be seeing cheapo china crap in our shopping lists for the time being.
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5 Responses to “no to “made in china””
September 25th, 2008 at
well said ruth. this MILK scare has definitely done it.
September 25th, 2008 at
Bravo. We’re making a conscious effort to do the same here.
September 26th, 2008 at
alam mo, i think i’m going to make a conscious effort to avoid made in china goods from now on. pero ang tanong, paano yung mga things na tulad ng damit o tsinelas… hindi rin made in china?
mas tingin ko kasi, kung mga bagay na pinapasok mo sa katawan mo, or ginagamit mong panlinis ng katawan mo, or mga lutuan na ginagamit mo para sa pagkaing papasok sa katawan mo, yun ata ang dapat na mas iwasan na made in china.
kung hindi yung mga bagay sa taas, could avoiding made in china things just be a statement more than anything else?
September 27th, 2008 at
this melamine brouhaha is causing a lot of grief in me. i just hope it won’t affect our plans soon. on the other hand, ‘made in china’ is not the only questionable products out there. even products manufactured here in north america are being recalled due to salmonella/listeria scare. nakakapraning na because a lot of companies are getting less honest with their processes and governments don’t implement strict controls. hubby and i are more vigilant now with what we buy and consume. as much as possible, we buy local and patronize businesses with strong social responsibilty.
September 28th, 2008 at
ate sienna, medyo ganun na nga ang nagyayari dito sa amin. it’s almost impossible to be “china-free” here kasi often, wala namang alternatives. wala naman kasing production dito, we’re forced to patronize whatever is brought in by the local importers. before these recalls happened, there are already a lot nga who were boycotting chia-made products, but it’s because of their labor practices.
gem, di naman siguro affected ang inyong plans. re: microbial contamination– tingin ko medyo iba kasi ito. although it also reflects faulty processing/logistics, iba yung accidental na contamination sa deliberate tampering. but you’re right, this also happens elsewhere. medyo napapadalas lang sa mga manufacturers sa china lately.