The first discounts of the week are already starting, on the occasion of Black Friday, Friday 25 November 2022. But the fight against consumerism has its great ally, Buy Nothing Day: a day where nothing is spent.
Christmas 2022 is approaching and there are those who with the increase of prices already plan to take advantage of this year’s Black Friday discounts on November 25th. This is because i consumers they have to cope with a significant increase in bills and an ever-increasing cost of living. According to Confesercenti estimates, based on a poll conducted jointly with SWG extension on a sample of consumers among the 18 hey 65 years, are at risk approx 5 billion euros of consumption in periods in which people normally spend more on the festivity arriving.
The estimates are similar when comparing the data to a recent one detection IPSOS according to Federdistibuzione on consumer sentiment: 65% of respondents will spend less than in 2021 on the purchase of ornaments And decorations christmas; 62% will do the same for gifts intended for adults; 50% will buy less food typical of the holidays, while 47% will reduce spending on gifts for children. And not even Istat is tender about it, indeed it confirms the negative trend of climate from confidence of the consumerswhich is at its lowest level since May 2013.
That’s why for some years the Italians are starting to anticipate spending on Christmas gifts by almost a month, hoping to save significantly on goods of all kinds. Thus, between those who need to redo their winter wardrobe and those who have bet on that phoneTV, or household appliance for some time now, a production system has continued to feed itself which, as we have told you several times in the past, pollutes.
If you think about it, there isn’t recurrence more connected to the issues we face every day than Black Friday, the same name has origin from pollution. In the years ‘50 in America a day of offerings was born, in order to be able to sell the enormous quantities of goods that were being produced at the time. The name Black Friday it was given to him a few years later by Philadelphia merchants: the “Black Friday” so named for the traffic intense of Automobiles which blocked the streets metropolis.
In fact, recent studies were certainly not needed to show us that an event of the gender would have had a significant impact on the environment.
Research in recent years confirms that Friday, so loved for shopping, is also black for the climate. According to a report published by the price comparison website Money.co.uk, Black Friday is a threat to the climate, especially for home deliveries. In fact, during 2020 in the United Kingdom UK Black Friday deliveries had produced 429,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
So how to answer? Clearly with a movement anti-consumerist. It’s called “Buy Nothing Day”, it was born 27 years ago, in 1995 under the impetus of a group of activists founded by Kalle Lasn. Film maker, author, magazine publisher and activist, Lasn is famous for his actions of cultures jamming, a type of protest that aims to go against the invalidity of mass media advertising messages. Deconstructing and moving objects into contexts where meaning is sometimes even turned upside down. This is the “non-purchase day”, which has found more and more consensus around the world and has developed with numerous campaigns.
From the parody of cigarettes camelswith the cartoon of the camel “Joe Chemio”, to that of the perfume Obsession from Calvin Klein. From the image of a product barcode, which becomes a prison to escape from to the organization of demonstrations where empty shopping trolleys are paraded to a reproduction of a Statue of Liberty holding up a credit card, while in the meanwhile it sinks into the sea.
In short, closing your wallet and maybe dedicating yourself to volunteering, doing Zombie walks (moving slowly and in groups in areas where you buy a lot without buying anything). Another significant gesture, practiced by those who adhere to Buy Nothing Day is to encourage Bookcrossing, to avoid buying more books.
What is Buy Nothing Day, the Black Friday protest movement against global consumerism