Buy Nothing Day: Less is More



Forget about going shopping for a day. It appears to be difficult nowadays, but it isn't. It's amazing what a day without shopping can do. You'll figure it out as you read.

Every year on the day after Thanksgiving, Buy Nothing Day is observed. This day is part of a global anti-consumerism campaign that encourages people all around the world to change their spending patterns and consume and generate less.

History:

Buy Nothing Day began in September 1992 in Canada as a method to protest the Black Friday buying spree. The day's inventor, artist Ted Dave, switched the date to the Friday after Thanksgiving in 1997 to coincide with one of America's most popular shopping days.

Consumerism: Negative Aspects

Consumerism basically causes:

  • Increased pollutants.
  • Promotes low worker wages and labor norms.
  • One of the key causes of resource depletion.
  • Beyond a certain extent, it does not always lead to higher happiness.
  • Companies are compelled to develop low-quality products as a result of this.

Consumerism in terms of overconsumption exacerbates climate change and contributes to air pollution. It depletes the planet's life support systems, such as those that provide us with clean water, and leaving us in need of resources essential to our health and quality of life.

Purpose: Help the Environment

Consumption is doing havoc on the environment. As the demand for products grows, so does the necessity to produce those goods. More pollutant emissions, higher land use and deforestation, and hastened climate change occur as a result of this. Buy Nothing Day is a 24-hour protest in which participants commit not to purchase anything in order to raise awareness of the harmful environmental, social, and political repercussions of excessive consumption. Every year on Buy Nothing Day, a message is sent out in support of less consumerism and increased environmental awareness. People that cut back on their consumption not only help the environment, but they also get to enjoy things more fully.

Whatever day you pick to commemorate Buy Nothing Day, the goal is to raise awareness about the issue of excessive consumption. Whether or not this is a subject that you are passionate about, you can certainly look into it and contribute to a better understanding of it. You can express your support for the day in a variety of ways like:

  • Not go shopping, sit home and relax.
  • Make a chequebook balance.
  • Read a book about anti-consumerism, such as Frank Trentmann's Empire of Things.
  • Donate to a local food pantry or volunteer there.
  • Organize your closet!

About the Author: Iman Haroon is presently a student of Bachelor of Environmental Science at Government College Women University, Sialkot. She's a green blogger who has volunteered to write for TENL in order to raise environmental awareness.


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