Ethical consumerism by definition is the concept of NOT purchasing products that are harmful to society or the environment. Ivory under this concept should not be purchased. The human gluttony of purchasing ivory for well reinforces a cycle of poverty.
Breaking the law is a deontic wrong – those aware of this and attempting to stop the ivory trade follow inherentism. As they argue that all, human or not, possess the basic moral right to be treated equally – for nature and society both deserve fair treatment. Ivory brings no further value to those who purchase it other than a prioritisation of pleasure at the cost of an animal’s life. This is hedonism. Which further perpetuates the cycle of the availability of a product being low and making the demand, paralleling the price, both increase.
As an informed consumer most if not all being aware of the illegality of the ivory purchase, are knowingly breaking the law. Those who acknowledged that countries should enforce a law on the ivory trade in the Globescan survey, yet were persuaded to buy the ivory because of its image of wealth, prove a contradiction or internal battle between their hedonistic lifestyle and their deontic awareness (Globescan, 2015).