It is impossible to stop buying things
Buying shitty shit is only part of the problem
Did you catch Yvon Chouinard’s op-ed in the New York Times?
The founder and former owner of Patagonia wrote about how buying quality products begets a quality planet.
“Cheap products, made poorly and thrown away quickly, are killing people and the planet,” he writes.
We know. We know! Chouinard cites that old “boots theory,” the one that highlights the benefits of spending more now to save in the future. While he stresses buying cheap shit keeps people in the shitty-boots-for-life camp, he doesn’t stress enough that most people can’t afford the Patagonia boots to begin with.
Still, Chouinard doesn’t put blame on the individual in his piece. He says manufacturers and brands are primarily responsible: “They increase sales by intentionally limiting the life span of batteries, lightbulbs, washing machines and more through planned obsolescence.”
And it’s the government, Chouinard writes, that has to hold these producers accountable. Our country needs “policies and legislation that prioritize the most sustainable raw materials and best manufacturing practices.”
It was nice to hear from Mr. Patagonia. I nodded my head in agreement to the very end of the article (shoutout to Yvon who I’m sure is a Good Little Garbage Girl reader).
But he doesn’t give enough attention to the fact that as consumers, we are basically hypnotized to keep buying. No matter where we go, the opportunity to spend is forced upon us. I captured the screenshot below while I was reading his article:
Oh look! An advertisement for boots, on sale! I’ve been looking at a pair of handsome Tecovas boots for over a year, but I’ve put off buying them because I truly don’t need them (I don’t own a horse).
The ad was a little on the nose, no? (The boots metaphor, etc. etc.) But even more, the sighting made me feel a little sick — exasperated. How can we stop buying shitty shit (and just excess in general, even if it is quality), if we are ceaselessly bombarded by both subtle and not-so-subtle nudges to shop? Even if more products were made with quality in mind, I think we’d still be compelled to overbuy.
How can overconsumption stop if, even while reading about the importance of buying less, I’m being pressed to consume more? I get that the NYT needs ads to live, but how do we get out of this insidious cycle? The message I’m receiving is this headache-inducing recursive model: Stop buying things but buy this to stop buying things but buy this to stop buying things but buy this to stop buying things but buy this to….
How do we break out of this fun house of hell?
No solutions from me today, but I would love to know what you think.