Breaking Our Addiction to “Stuff”

It’s the holiday season and many of us are busy buying gifts for friends and family. But before you click “add to cart,” it’s important to consider the impact you are having on the world with every purchase.

There is a new documentary on Netflix now called “Buy Now – The Shopping Conspiracy,” which exposes the manipulative tactics employed by major corporations to perpetuate consumerism, with zero consideration of the environmental consequences.

The film features insights from former executives of companies like Amazon, Apple, and Adidas, who reveal strategies such as planned obsolescence, deliberate destruction of perfectly good items that are “out of season,” and persuasive marketing designed to encourage continuous purchasing even when goods are not needed.

The environmental toll of this consumption has been absolutely catastrophic for people and the planet. The documentary features beaches in Ghana clogged with discarded clothing, sent there from all over the world. It shows landfills overflowing with the stuff we throw away–but they point out that there is no such thing as “away”- every item you get rid of goes somewhere. And that somewhere is not a recycling facility, as less than 10% of the plastic you drop in a blue bin actually get recycled. Even when we wash clothing made with synthetic fibers, it sheds microplastics into the water that cannot be filtered out.

The film does not delve into this aspect, but there are also a slew of human rights violations involved in many supply chains, from child slavery in the Congo used to mine the cobalt that helps power our electronics to exploited garment workers across the global south working in modern day sweat shops to produce inexpensive fast fashion.

Before you buy, please consider:

• Do you really need this item? Think about where it will end up when you are done with it.
• Get something of high quality that you will use for a long time — stay away from fast fashion or items that are made to throw away.
• Buying secondhand before getting something brand new – check out Facebook marketplace, eBay, ThredUp, etc. for gently used items and Backmarket for refurbished electronics.
• Giving experiences instead of stuff, like a gift card to a nice restaurant or a massage at a local spa.
• Buying from local stores whenever possible, not big box retailers like Target or Walmart.
• Suggesting to family members and friends that you redirect money normally spent on holiday gifts no one really needs to mutual aid for the unhoused in your area, or any other cause you are passionate about.

And please do watch the documentary if you have access to it; it will make you re-think your relationship with “stuff.”