overconsuming

Stop and think

Stop your devices and think! We will not take part in the Black Friday madness. We said it in 2020, and we repeat it now; in 2021.

We are not aligned with the hyper-consumerist vision promoted by this marketing trick.

First, Black Friday fosters the ‘shop & toss’ consuming habit we are trying to challenge. It is a hard fight, but we persist.
How many times have we heard friends say: “This dress is cheap, I’ll wear it once and throw it away!”
Just imagine the exponential growth of the effect of this short-sighted attitude during the Black week. Scary! And what’s more horrible is that those kinds of people are not open to reconsidering the way they consume. They barely see it.
Manipulated by advertising, people buy things they don’t even need. And those products, clothing included, end up quickly in the garbage. Surely, as we do, you still have in your head the images of the landfill in the Chile desert, a nightmare getting bigger and bigger. But perhaps people will only stop once garbage knocks directly on their doors.

Stop! Who benefits from Black Friday?

Also, Black Friday is just another opportunity to support corporations. They are the only ones who can afford the cost of it. If they applied reasonable mark-ups, there wouldn’t be the need for people to wait for special offers in order to purchase a product.
For independent retailers, those crazy offers aren’t viable unless they use the same corporations’ tricks.

Impulsive buying – overconsumption and rapid discarding. Never-ending needs for unsatisfied people. Black Friday is convenient for corporations, not for people.

Instead, we encourage intentional buying as a conscious lifestyle alternative. Buy things when you need them. Or when you find something meaningful. Having fewer things but better quality is a choice that brings value to our life.

During Black Friday, stop your devices and think!

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The island in the desert

Talking about the cost of fast fashion and the madness of disposable items can be upsetting and frustrating. No one wants to listen.

We could define it as a hidden cost, assuming people do not see it directly. Except that there’s nothing hidden anymore. And so, we call it the true cost because it happens before our eyes. Although, people refuse to see it intentionally.

To illustrate the abnormity, perhaps a visual image helps awaken the conscience more than words.

Atacama desert in Chile - fast fashion leftovers
Atacama desert in Chile – fast fashion leftovers

Here, in front of your eyes, is the Atacama desert in Chile, the driest desert in the world. And that is an island of discarded clothing, including Christmas sweaters and ski boots, piling up in the desert.

Chile is a hub for secondhand and unsold clothing coming from all over the world. USA, Europe and Asia. Approximately 59,000 tons of garments arrive there every year. Clothing merchants buy part of it, but the majority, about 39,000 tons, end up in rubbish dumps in the desert.

That happens because those garments contain chemicals and are not biodegradable, therefore not accepted in the municipal landfill.

We wonder what’s going to happen over time.
Do you still feel ok with fast fashion and disposable goods?

On Monday, we posted about the need to shift our consumption habits. After reading this, the sense of urgency becomes imperative. It doesn’t need any further explanation.

Educating ourselves towards thoughtful consumption habits is fundamental.
If brands don’t produce items made to last, we don’t buy from them!
Stop overconsuming. Stop purchasing disposable items. That is how we bring our contribution.

We know that expecting a change from brands is an illusion, and it’s just a way to exclude ourselves from the game. If we pretend we do not play an active role, we hide our responsibilities.

On the contrary, we have to educate ourselves in order to become conscious and make intentional choices.

Break the loop. Take action now!

The island in the desert Read More »