Buy Nothing Day 2023
Buy Nothing Day takes place on the same day as Black Friday this year (Friday, November 24th). To participate in the Buy Nothing Day movement, all you have to do is refrain from participating in Black Friday.
Here’s the issue with Black Friday:
- It promotes over consumption.
- It promotes the purchase of unnecessary items.
- It promotes waste.
Have you ever thought about the resources that it takes to produce the item you are purchasing? The impact production is having on people around the world? Or what will happen to your item if it breaks (or you decide you no longer need it)? The system of consumption that our society has created is a linear one based on:
- Resource extraction
- Production
- Distribution
- Consumption
- Disposal
Annie Leonard, founder of The Story of Stuff, reminds us in her documentary about “stuff” that you cannot run a linear system on a finite planet. “You can’t keep using one and a half planet’s worth of resources indefinitely,” she says in an interview with The Guardian. “Too often the environment is seen as one small piece of the economy. But it’s not just one little thing, it’s what every single thing in our life depends on.”
When making a purchase, don’t forget about the planet. Those jeans that are listed at $19.99 for the Black Friday sale have an additional cost associated with them: a social and environmental cost that is not reflected on the tag. Prior to heading to the mall or clicking “proceed” in your online shopping cart, we encourage you to watch the official “Story of Stuff” documentary (it’s short – only 20 minutes) and think about the price that people and our planet are paying in order for us to receive those “door crashing” deals.
More Resources
More Blog Posts
More Events
Other Presentations/Workshops
Vermicomposting Basics
Vermicomposting can be done indoors, making this option particularly appealing for people without yards. You can’t compost quite as much as you would be able to in a backyard bin, but you may be surprised to watch how much your worms eat. The worm castings make for great house plant fertilizer.
Vermicomposting Basics
Vermicomposting can be done indoors, making this option particularly appealing for people without yards. You can’t compost quite as much as you would be able to in a backyard bin, but you may be surprised to watch how much your worms eat. The worm castings make for great house plant fertilizer.
Composting Basics and Getting Started
Backyard composting is a cost effective method that is particularly appealing for gardening, as they’re able to use the finished product as organic fertilizer.
Composting Basics and Getting Started
Backyard composting is a cost effective method that is particularly appealing for gardening, as they’re able to use the finished product as organic fertilizer.
Protecting Mother Earth
Intended for First Nation classrooms, this presentation provides a basic understanding of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in relation to Indigenous worldviews – how we are connected with the planet and how we must find a harmonious balance with our environment for the sake of the next seven generations. This includes actions students can take at home, in school, or within their community. Examples will explore what other schools in First Nation communities around Manitoba are doing to reduce their impact on Mother Earth.
Protecting Mother Earth
Intended for First Nation classrooms, this presentation provides a basic understanding of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in relation to Indigenous worldviews – how we are connected with the planet and how we must find a harmonious balance with our environment for the sake of the next seven generations. This includes actions students can take at home, in school, or within their community. Examples will explore what other schools in First Nation communities around Manitoba are doing to reduce their impact on Mother Earth.
