BUY NOTHING DAY

ANTI-CONSUMERISM CAMPAIGN
AS A TOOLKIT FOR SUSTAINABILITY
It is widely accepted that contemporary consumption patterns are at an excessively high level so that
it is certainly incompatible with ‘sustainability’, while consumption is presently considered one of the major
drivers that run current market economic system. Thus, various consumer movements have recently
emerged as a new counter-consumer practice, ranging from anti-consumerism to ethical consumption.
‘No shopping day’ as a campaign against consumerism and over-consumption, namely ‘Buy Nothing Day’,
provides consumers with a good opportunity not only to be aware of environmental consequences of
consumption, but also to make a commitment to sustainable consumption, such as consuming less,
reusing and recycling more, and making more environmentally friendly choices.

R E S E A R C H E D & D E S I G N E D B Y
2 3 . F E B . 2 0 1 0
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CONSUMPTION
Industrialization that has derived from the Industrial Revolution has brought
about production and consumption on a massive scale. They, in turn, have
led to consumerism and over consumption. Consumption is generally
considered one of the major drivers of current market economic systems.

THREATENS
However, there is considerable debate over such a consumption-driven
economic system because it is widely accepted that “the Earth’s ecosystems
cannot sustain current levels of economic activity and material consumption,
let alone increased levels” (Wackernagel and Rees 1996, 1). In other words,
there is wide agreement that contemporary high consumption levels are

SUSTAINABILITY
certainly incompatible with ‘sustainability’. There is much evidence that
consumerism gives rise to various social, economic, and environmental problems.
Particularly, in terms of the environment, all processes involved in production
and disposal of products are closely connected to serious environmental damage.

“Consumption is presently one of the main threats to our planet’s sustainability” (Susana 2009, 28).
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EARTH HAS BEEN

In fact, plenty of statistics represent the excessiveness of contemporary
consumption patterns. “Consumption has grown dramatically over the past
five decades, up 28 percent from the $23.9 trillion spent in 1996 and up
sixfold from the $4.9 trillion spent in 1960. Some of this increase comes

OVERLOADED
from the growth in population, but human numbers only grew by a factor
of 2.2 between 1960 and 2006” (Assuaourian 2010).
In addition, “only 20 percent of the world population are consuming over
80 percent of the earth’s natural resources, causing a disproportionate level
of environmental damage and unfair distribution of wealth” (Sassatelli 2006, 228).

BY 30 PERCENT
This situation can be more clearly understood if seen through the eco-
logical footprint that is a numerical indicator that helps to easily understand
human’s dependence on nature.
“Humanity’s Ecological Footprint is as much as 30 percent larger than
nature can sustain in the long run. In other words, present consumption
exceeds natural income by 30 percent and is therefore partially dependent
on capital (wealth) depletion. The lavish partying by the wealthy today
means a hefty bill for everyone tomorrow” (Wackernagel and Rees 1996, 90).

It is shown clearly that current consumption patterns have already

exceeded the earth’s carrying capacity (ibid. 90). If sustainability in consumption
and production is defined as “to improve quality of life for society as a whole
without increasing the environmental degradation and without compromising
the sources needed for future generations” (impactus 20), it is apparent that
contemporary over-consumption seriously threatens global sustainability.
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COUNTER-
With the increased public’s social and environmental awareness of
consumerism, various forms of counter-consumerism activism have appeared.
There are a variety of alternative consumer practices, ranging from
anti-consumerism to green and ethical consumption (Littler 2009, 1).

CONSUMERISM
Anti-consumerism urges consuming nothing or less upon consumers,
basically protesting against consumerism, while ethical consumption is
associated with more responsible consumer choices through social and
environmental concerns. It can be seen that the former may be more radical
than the latter; although there is similarity in that they both offer alternative

HAS APPEARED
forms of consumption. Such alternative consumer movements are taken
as a conscious effort to critically address contemporary problems concerning
consumerism and over-consumption (Sassatelli 2007, 186).
Anti-consumerism includes various forms of consumer activities, such as
consumer protests, brand backlashes, boycott, freeganism, culture jamming,
downshifting, voluntary simplicity, asceticism. Some of them are somewhat
radical, expressing protests against particular companies and products.
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TO ADDRESS
Anti-consumerism activism is worthy of attention in view of the fact
some of its campaigns provide a forum for consumers to look back to
everyday practices of consumption and remedy the values of materialism
deeply entrenched in everyday life. In this sense, no shopping day campaign,

CONTEMPORARY
the so-called ‘Buy Nothing Day’ can be taken as a shining example of
awareness-raising campaigns with regard to contemporary consumption
problems. I see the campaign as a form of culture Jamming that promotes
anti-consumerism by deliberately distorting or hindering consumption-
oriented messages (Carducci 2006, 116).

CONSUMPTION
It can be viewed that culture jamming takes a part in remedying the
downside of consumerism(ibid. 134), as it provides consumers with an
opportunity to rethink their consuming patterns, deviating from seductive
advertising messages in the mass media, which are immoderately tilted
towards the rapacious pursuit of material acquisition.
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‘Buy Nothing Day’ is a campaign as a form of consumer movements

in support of anti-consumerism, which is organised by the Canadian journal
Adbusters. It was initiated for the purpose of offering a chance for consumers
taken in by advertising messages that are strongly oriented towards
materialism to reflect on their extravagant consumption habits, especially
for North Americans (Whiteley 1993, 127).
Due to the growing recognition that current consumption patterns
should be redressed, the campaign started to draw attention and now has
become an annual event taking place in many countries since it was first
launched around Canada and the United States. It intends to provide consumers
with a “moment of pause in the production-consumption routine”
by encouraging consumers not to buy anything for a day (Adbusters).
As a consumer, it is anticipated that consciously being part from shopping
for a day allows him or her not only to consider the social, economic and
environmental consequences of over-consumption, but also to realise that
shopping is less important by spending the day doing something more
constructive and valuable.
Posters for Buy Nothing Day
*Source_adbusters.org
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BND PROVIDES
There are, in fact, a variety of events taking place on the day, such as
“credit card cut-ups, street theatre, shops selling nothing, meditating in
Santa Claus costumes, no-logo parades, bicycle demonstrations, teach-ins,
postering and leaf-letting, conga-lines, free food parties, barter markets,

A FORUM
free concerts, shopping-free zones (sofas and carpets in city shopping area),
broadcasting BND un-commercials on radio and TV, simply not shopping
and instead enjoying the day with friends and family”(Adbusters).
Some of these activities are noteworthy in terms of public responses

TO CONSIDER
and social implications. For example, booths are set up in a shopping mall
in order to encourage shoppers to cut up their credit cards. As a matter
of fact, overspending by credit card is a big social problem.
According to a Consumer Reports 2006 survey, “twenty-three percent
of Americans will not pay off their holiday debt until March or later,
equaling $14.6 billion in interest-accruing debt, Over one-quarter of
Americans use credit cards most often when holiday shopping, contributing
to the $63.6 billion charged on credit cards throughout the shopping season”
(Feiner 2007).
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UNSUSTAINABLE
The day after Thanksgiving day, set as ‘Buy Nothing Day’, is the
beginning of the highest sales period across a year, which is called as
‘Chirstmas shopping season’. It can be said as a timely event held to prevent
over-consumption ahead of the most-tempting-shopping season,

CONSUMPTION
because credit cards contribute to it. In other words, it can be an effective
tactic by removing one of the major factors that aggravate excessive
consumption patterns. The events taking place on the day, including
‘credit card cut up’, are expected to allow consumers to be aware of the

PATTERNS
unsustainability of present consuming patterns as well as inspire them
to redress their consumption-led lifestyle.
Given the effects that over-consumption has on society, economy and
the environment, it can be viewed that such an anti-consumerist campaign
to some extent serves as a tool of contributing to ‘sustainability’ , because it
proclaims that everything consumed has an influence on the environment
and urges consumer to stand up against consumerism.

CONSUMPTION
IS PRACTISED
EXTRAVAGANTLY
My view and proposal
As far as current consumption patterns are concerned, I basically agree
with the statement that they are far away from sustainability and much of our
consumption habits should be changed so as to achieve a more sustainable
consumption culture. In addition, I am concerned about the fact that consumption
is not done in a normal way.
My view is that it is practised in a manner that is rapacious and extravagant.
My take on current consumption culture is based on the notion of Veblen and
Baudrillard. Thorsten Veblen first coined the term ‘conspicuous consumption’
to refer to people’s practice of obtaining commodities to show off their social
and financial status (O’Brien 2008). Baudrillard stated in his book (1998, 124)
that Consumption is no longer defined as purchase of ‘use-values’, but rather
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as acquiring the signs that products possess. This represents that people buy
goods to gain the signs of the products.
Taken together, in the past people used to buy something out of necessity,
but now we consume for other reasons, such as to impress each other,
to differentiate themselves from other people, to fill a void, etc.
It is ture that such a conspicuous and extravagant consumption culture
inevitably leads to more consumption beyond the actual needs and over-
consumption, in turn, results in the social, economic, environmental, and
individual psychological impacts negatively. In dealing with this issue,
I think it is noteworthy to look at the notion of Mahatma Gandhi that
‘’Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s

SUSTAINABILITY
REQUIRES
CONSUMING LESS
greed”. It can be interpreted as meaning that human beings have to exercise
restraints on the excesses of current consumption in order to achieve a more
sustainable world. I would like to insist that ‘sustainability’ can be improved
through controlling human’s greed on the basis of the notion that
“sustainability requires that our emphasis shift from managing resources to
‘managing ourselves’…”(Wackernagel and Rees 1996, 4).
Much of our current ways of life should, therefore, be changed and
redressed, particularly, the way we consume.
In this context, the campaign ‘Buy Nothing Day’ can be seen as a toolkit
of sustainability because it is expected to help ameliorate the problems
concerning contemporary consumption patterns, leading to some changes
in current consumption culture.
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I think, however, it is necessary to flesh out the campaign with engaging
tactics in order that it is a more effective and successful campaign.
Specifically, there would be a need to explore how abstention from
shopping for a day can lead to a lasting experience. Furthermore, the ways
need to be explored to put the awareness of over-consumption in action,
like making a commitment to more sustainable forms of consumption,
such as consuming less, recycling and reusing, and making more environ-
mentally friendly consumer choices.
Other forms of happiness and self-fulfillment could be introduced
as an alternative to a shopping-centered lifestyle in the light of
‘alternative hedonism’. It should be noted that material acquisition is no
guarantee of happiness and pleasure.

CHRISTMAS IS NOT A DAY
TO EXCHANGE PRESENTS
The cover of Christmas card
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“CHRISTMAS IS NOT A DAY
TO EXCHANGE PRESENTS”
“IT IS NOT YOU BUT JESUS
WHO DESERVES A GIFT”
As regards these, I would like to suggest an event that can help consumers
reduce their consumption. As I mentioned, Christmas holiday season is
a highest sales period. The real meaning of Christmas has been debased
by commercialism. It seems that many people perceive Christmas as a day
to exchange presents. This perception of Christmas causes more consumption.
So, I would like to make people realise that Christmas is not a day for gift.
However, there should be consensus between friends and family members
who people normally exchange each other at Christmas season, which is
about not buying any gift for each other. Instead of Christmas gift,
they can make promises to do something for each other.
People can write Christmas cards at the booths installed in the shopping
mall or streets on the Buy Nothing Day and they keep them until Christmas
to remind themselves of the promises.
This event could help people avoid probable over-consumption at
Christmas season, making them decide not to buy gifts.
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I know Christmas is not a day to exchange presents.

I am concerned about the environmental effects of consumption.

I am not taken in by the message of materialism.

I will not ask or want Julia to buy any gift for me

nor buy any gift for Julia

Instead, I promise to

help you do the dishes at weekends

IT IS NOT YOU BUT JESUS hug you more than 3 times a day
WHO DESERVES A GIFT

clean up the house on Saturday morning

M E R RY C H R I S T M A S BUY NOTHING CHRISTMAS


Bibliography
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