“Buy Local” Inefficiently Wastes Resources

(p. 8) Much is . . . made about the eco-friendliness of handmade.
“Buying handmade (especially really locally) can greatly reduce your carbon footprint on the world,” reads a post on the popular website Handmadeology.
But few economists give much credence to the idea that buying local necessarily saves energy. Most believe that the economies of scale inherent in mass production outweigh the benefits of nearness. These same economies of scale most likely make a toothbrush factory less wasteful, in terms of materials, than 100 individual toothbrush makers each handcrafting 10 toothbrushes a day.

For the full commentary, see:
EMILY MATCHA. “OPINION; It’s Chic. Not Morally Superior. That Handmade Scarf Won’t Save the World.” The New York Times, SundayReview Section (Sun., MAY 3, 2015): 8.
(Note: ellipses added.)
(Note: the online version of the coomentary has the date MAY 2, 2015, and has the title “OPINION; Sorry, Etsy. That Handmade Scarf Won’t Save the World.”)

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