Today is Buy Nothing Day, “an international day of protest against consumerism observed by social activists”, largely in response to Black Friday, the start of the holiday shopping season. The blogosphere is a-blog, the Twitterverse is a-twitter. I don’t buy it.
Buying nothing for just one day is meaningless, as is celebrating it. Without a thorough change in your overall consumption, in what you buy throughout the year, the one day that you buy nothing may make you feel good but will make no difference (unless it’s the beginning of the change).
Similar to purchasing carbon offsets as an isolated sustainable practice, Buy Nothing Day allows you to absolve yourself of the guilt for behaving unsustainably while continuing business as usual. Indeed, the event’s major criticism centers on the fact that buying nothing for just one day just defers your purchase.
Along these lines, Green Thing threw up an Amazon-spoof website with Nothing for sale. “Shop your sustainable heart out and buy Nothing,” the product description says.
Triple Pundit suggests replacing Buy Nothing Day with Buy Something Responsible Day, though that still begs the question, why just one day? Why not buy responsible every day, every time you buy anything?
Some level criticism at Buy Nothing Day for making a mockery of people without the means to buy anything. It’s certainly insensitive to forgo buying anything for a day when there are people who can’t buy anything any day. However, there are limits to exporting cultural artifacts beyond their context.
Now if you’ll excuse me, the in-laws are in town for Thanksgiving, and I have to walk to the store to buy some more milk for everyone’s morning coffee.
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Comments from Facebook:
I am glad someone else was feeling the same way. I was thinking, doesnt that magazine have sponsors???
Dr Wright
http://www.wrightplacetv.com
Peter,
I think “Buy Nothing Day” is worse than a waste of time, I think it’s counter-productive to moving people into more sustainable lifestyles because it sends the message that you have to sacrifice everything. I can’t imagine coming home to my children and saying “Merry Christmas. Here’s Nothing!”
I disagree that BND is a waste of time. I appreciate the opportunity to resist the dominant paradigm and to seek viable alternatives. BND is a way to evaluate the role of consumption in our lives. If not then, when?
@Nathan: It does support black-and-white thinking, doesn’t it? I haven’t thought of it that way. Thanks!
@Brian: Good point. The thing is, you personally have made the conscious choice to adjust your consumption pattern and structure. For people like you, Buy Nothing Day can serve as a reminder or even celebration.
For those who just buy nothing that day and think they’re done with sustainability, it seems like a waste of time because it changes nothing in the long run.
And to answer your question, If not then, when?, I’d say every day. Systemic change requires more than just one day a year.