To think most people have any idea where the contents of their homes comes from?

[Skinterior]

I work in manufacturing and until very recently took it for granted that most people have a basic understanding of where the things they buy - eg food, clothing, furniture, electrics, petrol etc - comes from.

DH is from a knowledge based industry and even though he's far from uneducated, it's becoming apparent that he has absolutely no clue. Asking around it seems like most of my family and non work friends are the same.

As supply chain issues really begin to impact our quality and cost of living - AIBU to think that most people don't know how products are sourced and therefore why these problems are occurring?

Could you look at a random thing in your house and explain to someone how it was made, where it came from and how it got to you?

Yanbu. Even supermarket food often says “packed in the UK” without bothering to tell me where it comes from.

But I do know that a huge amount of my stuff comes from China, a country that kidnaps its minority ethnic citizens into work camps where they make plastic tat for the west. I wish it was easier to boycott Chinese manufactured stuff but so often it’s impossible to know where it came from until the product is in my home.

it’s more about whether there is a basic understanding so people can understand why prices fluctuate and what they're actually paying for.

So, can you tell me how your house is put together from start to finish? People have different levels of knowledge.

Some people are interested in the world around them, but it’s OK to be small-minded and insular too, don’t worry.

And some make ill informed PA comments like this. The point is, not everyone knows about everything and just because someone isn’t particularly interested in the mining of minerals that go in to a door handle, doesn’t mean they aren’t paying attention to the world around them and how things like supply chain rising costs can happen.

@BigWoollyJumpers

The most ridiculous thing I saw on TV recently was that shellfish caught in British waters are exported to Asia to be hand shelled, before being return to UK for sale. Just fucking unbelievable. It's things like that that need to be stopped. The environmental cost of doing things like that is reprehensible, also that it is still cost effective to even be doing it in the first place!

But that’s just because we as consumers won’t pay the price required if they used U.K. labour to shell them. Actually employing someone here probably works out at £20/£25k a year minimum by the time you add employers costs - or maybe a fifth of that in Thailand. We’re happy paying £3.99 in Waitrose for them, or 3 for £10 on promo. Would we pay £7/£8 or 3 for £20? If we keep buying them then nothing will change. The same is true of a lot of processed chicken as well I think.

I agree with you and I also think that a great deal of people don't care or are too slammed by the cost of living to be able to make a choice.

I would say i know where almost all of the contents of my home are from, all of my furniture is British made and all of my food is bought through Riverford which is all seasonal and almost entirely British, I shop local and don’t own any fast fashion clothing.

It’s not something I think about that much no. I have enough crap to remember frankly.

I work in construction so I have a good idea about the house itself, road outside, how the water gets into the tap etc. I often look at things like medicines with amazement.
There are always some old Inside the Factory programmes (normally very sanitised niche UK manufacturers) on ITV player.