Going an entire day without buying anything might seem alien to us within an age of instant gratification, though when did you last reflect on the damaging impact that excess consumerism has on our planet and society? You may never have, but the annual recurrence of ‘Buying Nothing Day’ – which takes place this year on Friday 26th November – can give us all food for thought and help improve our lifestyle habits for good.
What is it?
Buy Nothing Day all started in 1992 with Canadian artist Ted Dave, gaining traction through promotion from the pro-environment campaign Adbusters. Since then, many more people around the world have been inspired to dedicate a day to examining the corrosive impact that consumerism has on our minds and planet.
Each day after Thanksgiving, people in over 65 countries observe a deliberate aversion to purchasing material goods or, indeed, anything at all. It might seem fruitless given that many will return to old habits, and capitalism might seem a permanent fixture of our society, though symbolically participants find it necessary to fight against it and raise awareness.
Why do it?
As we verge towards a climate emergency, Buy Nothing Day is more important now than ever. The importance of leading more essential lives cannot be stated enough, as it prevents waste and unnecessary fuel emissions.
Though more than that, Buy Nothing Day allows us to evaluate how we behave as human beings. We’ve all seen the videos of floods of people in supermarkets on Black Friday, battling it out for the last television or smartphone, all in the name of consumer greed. This is exactly the behaviour that Buy Nothing Day stands against.
Buying nothing can have a purifying detox effect, as we purge the material instincts that have been conditioned by society. Letting go of an obsessive desire for stuff, we can connect with one another as people, the natural world, and come to understand what truly matters.
What can you do to help?
Where many supporters of Buy Nothing Day exert themselves through radical protest, there are many smaller things that you can do to inspire piecemeal change such as clothes exchanges and donations.
Though if you are inclined towards more direct action, here are ways in which activists have demonstrated against consumerism:
- Zombie walk: participants wander around busy stores with a blank stare to mimic the soul-sapping nature of consumer culture.
- Whirl-Mart: protestors wheel empty shopping trolleys around stores without purchasing any products.
- Credit card cut-up: participants head to shopping centres and encourage individuals with a shopping addiction to cut up their credit card with scissors.
Overall, a more proactive attitude in day-to-day life, rather than in late November each year, will help to address the levels of waste and overconsumption that plague our global community. Ultimately, if on an individual level we can adopt better habits the world will become a better place.
Whilst it was originally a North American occasion, the message of Buy Nothing Day has become increasingly universal: if our planetary home is to survive, we must address our consumer habits and redirect our focus to the things that truly matter.
Matt is a content creator and editor who enjoys all things sport, writing, gaming and the theatre.
