When globalisation and industrialisation made our lives easier and convenient, we started seeing numerous brands on the high street, and now digitalisation has taken over, millions of shops flourished in another world we called the internet! With the aid of advertising and marketing, our eyes just couldn’t stop looking at beautiful things that hit our soft spot, baiting our interests and changing our buying behaviour!
Unfortunately, this has taken a toll on the environment’s health.
I am not going to go through facts and figures because this information is easily accessible and I believe everyone knows how ill our planet earth or should I say our home is. What we need to tackle now is over-consumption. The question today is, am I buying ‘product A’ because I need it? Or do I want it? Let’s re-evaluate!
When I was working in the fashion industry, I was the first person to open up boxes of new stocks and go: this is so nice I want it! Until I started having credit card debts, piles of clothes that I don’t even wear twice in a year.
Then I realised, it’s time to stop. Years later, I started practising only buying what I needed. Over the past year it has been more like strictly practising it. It’s not an easy task as I love merchandise from cartoons, movie franchises and yea, basically all things beautiful from home deco to clothes.
But do I really need them? Or do I want them? I actually don’t need another new pair of brand collaboration sneakers or another amazingly designed tumbler as I already have one. I started telling my friends not to give birthday presents anymore but buy me meals, because that is more essential (and sometimes ….you get things that you don’t use anyway). Huge fraction of money I spent this year on hygiene products, food, raincoat and a beanie for the rainy UK weather and city magnets where I travelled.
I also started appreciating vintage shopping and visiting charity shops more. When I needed something, or to release a shopping urge! My first choice would be the Vinted app or local charity shops. By setting up this sustainable fashion platform, I found many repurpose makers around the UK and also just realised some around me as well, which allows me to have interest in picking up a repurpose skill!
Here’s a very useful work I found created by Sarah (Sarah Lazarovic) on this ‘Buyerachy of Needs’
Using what you already have is the fundamental of everything. Remember the 5 Rs also starts with Reduce. It secures my bank account at the same time being part of reducing new production.
There’s a powerful quote I saw recently, “We do not have a recycling crisis, we have a consumption crisis.” Not to forget, when planet earth is sick, it affects every living thing, including us.
So, re-evaluating your needs and wants, do you want to put this into your new year’s resolution with me?
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