The holiday shopping season isn’t unsustainable.
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The holiday shopping season isn’t unsustainable.
Sean Gallup / Getty Images
Buying things is part of America’s DNA.
that is a tradition that really developed near the end of World War II, when the economy was thriving and the market was exploding with products Americans didn’t even know they wanted.
And even in an economy rocked by the pandemic, buying is on track to surpass 2020 levels this holiday season. The result of all that spending means that consumption accounts for 70% of our country’s GDP, but it also leads to very real environmental problems.
Analyze what the environmental costs might be and whether damage can be limited.
Count expenses beyond our bank account
It is not possible to sum up the true environmental cost of a product just by looking at the physical material.
You have to take into account the entire system that gets that product to you, from production and packaging to shipping and shipping.
“Your name [an environmental problem], consumerism drives it,” journalist JB MacKinnon, who wrote How World Stop Shopping Day, End Consumerism protects the environment and ourselves.
Mackinnon argues that deforestation, toxic pollution, climate change and species extinction are just a few of the myriad problems associated with our consumption.
Cargo ships can cause major disruptions to marine life and threaten endangered species.
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Cargo ships can cause major disruptions to marine life and threaten endangered species.
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And, he adds, the environmental impact of consumer culture can shape up in surprising ways. Mackinnon gives the example of how endangered North Atlantic right whales were killed after being rammed by a cargo ship carrying consumer goods.
“One whale conservationist told me, every time you hit the ‘buy now’ button on Amazon, you’re helping to power ships that are hunting for endangered whales,” Mackinnon said. strain off the east coast of the United States.
Companies also have a role to play
The reality is that consumer goods are integral to the economy, but companies can continue to sell products without exacerbating the cycle of overproduction and overconsumption, Mackinnon said.
He said apparel brands like Levi’s and Patagonia have adopted more sustainable business models.
“Both of these companies are moving towards models where they will make the sale of new products a smaller part of their model and the sale of refurbished products and the resale of old products. their own as a larger part of their model, as well as the repair and maintenance and alteration of their products as part of their source of income.”
By implementing systems to repair, refurbish and resell products to customers, these companies can extend the life of their goods, while generating the revenue to keep the economy afloat.
Benefits of buying second hand
Independent journalist Annaliese Griffin makes it her personal duty to buy only used gifts, writing about the commitment in a recent New York Times magazine titled How Nothing New in the World this holiday season.
For Griffin, buying the latest things for her family feels predictable and unsettling.
“To not have an element of surprise and delight just feels like it goes against the whole point of receiving gifts,” she says.
Second hand stores and online second-hand stores offer a unique and sustainable gift.
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Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Second hand stores and online second-hand stores offer a unique and sustainable gift.
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This is not to say that Griffin intends to change his family this holiday season. Instead, she says it has brought more meaningful and thoughtful gifts to her family.
She and her husband regularly visit the local thrift store, keeping an eye out for something that resonates in some way as a sign of special affection.
Griffin also recommends online resale sites, like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, as great places to find people’s treasures.
Going the second-hand route can also dramatically reduce your carbon footprint during your seasonal shopping, as these items usually don’t have to travel far to reach you.
And if you need more inspiration, Griffin also notes that buying used gifts can help save money for the holidays.
