This coming Saturday, 26th November is Buy Nothing Day. In North America it is being marked on Friday, 25th November, which is also known as "Black Friday".
Buy Nothing Day is an opportunity to challenge the consumer culture that dominates our lives by asking us all to spend one day without spending anything.
The aim is to encourage people to consume less, recycle more and insisting that companies that manufacture products have a greater environmental awareness and a greater commitment to fair employment.
You might decide to do it as a personal challenge, or you may wish to make it a public protest. Either way, why not stand up against consumerism for one day?
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What about small businesses who rely on a daily intake of trade to make a living. Surely they will suffer greatly. This seems like a protest that will punish everyone rather than send a message to large multi-nationals.
ReplyDeleteSmall firms are also part of consumerist society. I don't see why they should be treated any differently.
ReplyDeleteSo an individual shop/pub/food outlet owner who just about makes enough each day to get by should be punished just because big companies aren't very ethical? It's this kind of reclessness that could cost people their livlihoods.
ReplyDeleteI don't think ALL big companies are unethical, it varies. Similarly, small companies aren't intrinsically ethical.
ReplyDeleteIt's the culture of consumerism I object to. I reality most purchases not made on one day will end up being made another day, but I support the anti-consumerism, anti-capitalism, pro-green ethos of the protest.