With the holiday season approaching, consumerism can cause unnecessary stress. It can be helpful to take a step back and think about what pushes us to spend money on things we don’t truly need. Buy Nothing Day, which takes place on the last Friday of November is a good time to reflect on alternatives to our consumer culture, and an opportunity to get creative.
A bit of history
Now in its 23rd year, Buy Nothing Day is celebrated every November by environmentalists, social activists and concerned citizens around the world. Started by Kalle Lasn, founder of Adbusters, Buy Nothing Day has evolved into a global movement that encourages citizens to think creatively of ways to buy less, while poking fun at our consumerist culture. Fittingly, it takes place on “Black Friday”, the Friday after American Thanksgiving, when we are encouraged to drop everything and shop.
How can we celebrate?
There are all sorts of activities your classroom could do to celebrate Buy Nothing Day. Not surprisingly, Adbusters has a few ideas, and here are other suggestions:
- Swap: Instead of buying new things and tossing what we don’t use anymore, why not host a swap at your school? It could be anything from clothing to books to electronics. You can find ideas on setting up swaps at Swapsity.
- Free Store: If a free-for-all is more your style, set up a Free Store! It’s just like a traditional retail store, except no money is exchanged. Instead, community members donate gently used items, which volunteers then sort and display. The University of Ottawa has an amazing Free Store that can provide inspiration.
- Upcycling: Another fun way to celebrate Buy Nothing Day is to get crafty with upcycling. Find tons of ideas on Pinterest for upcycling crafts, from ornaments to globe lamps to clever storage solutions for your classroom or home. Consider thinking ahead and making some for green holiday gifts.
- Media literacy: A big part of consumer culture is media messaging. Media Smarts has an excellent lesson plan (suitable for grades 7 to 12) that proposes Buy Nothing Day as a jumping off point to examine how consumerism affects our day-to-day lives. You could also check out Adbusters’ “spoof ads” and come up with your own by collecting magazines and dissecting the messages conveyed.
- Another recent response to Black Friday is the #OptOutside movement…another way to not buy-in.
None of these ideas inspire? We encourage you to brainstorm with your EcoTeam other ways to celebrate Buy Nothing Day – and let us know what you come up with!
*Whole school Buy Nothing campaigns can be claimed in the Environmental Stewardship section of the Ontario EcoSchools certification application*
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