We all know we should consume a little less, reuse a lot more, and recycle as much as possible.
If you’re anything like us, you probably set a new years goal along the lines of trying to live more minimally, with a focus on sustainability where possible.
And then the months go by, and you cave to convenience because .. well .. it’s convenient!!
Here to help get us all back on track, this October is Buy Nothing New Month.
What is Buy Nothing New Month?
Buy Nothing New Month started in Melbourne and has become a global movement for conscientious consumption.
The idea is simple: buy nothing new that you don’t absolutely need for one entire month. You can still buy essentials, like food, medicine, and hygiene products, but try and resist the urge to splurge on anything else.
The month aims to help us think a little more deeply about our automatic spending habits and encourages us to rethink ways we can live without buying new. This includes shopping secondhand, swapping with friends, family or neighbours, and borrowing items where possible.
As well as helping to encourage more conscious spending, it also allows us to think about what happens to all the ‘stuff’ that already exists in the world. It can be an eye-opening experience to stick to!
5 Ways to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle this October
Some of you might already be focusing on ways to reduce your carbon footprint, and others might be exploring this idea for the first time.
The following tips from the Buy Nothing New Month website are a great starting point this month, no matter where you’re at on your consumption reduction journey:
1. DO One ThingÂ
To get started, pick one action a week that can help you DO better when it comes to reducing, reusing and recycling.
This might mean heading out to your local op shop instead of the high street for a shopping purpose. You could research recycling programs in your local community and see where you can donate any old tech or harder-to-recycle packaging for the month.
Whatever it is, aim to be proactive in switching up your habits. You can find a few more ideas to help with this one here.
2. READ One Thing
According to Buy Nothing New, the average Aussie spends $3172 a year on new stuff they don’t need. For millennials, this jumps to $4311 – about $300k over a lifetime!
Buying nothing new is HARD because we’re just so used to it.
Once you start this exercise, you’ll probably quickly realise how much you purchase in a day or week without thinking about it. This could be anything from buying snacks and lunch at school instead of bringing your food from home to buying a magazine or new game just because.
Learning more about where and how things are made is a great way to help us stay motivated and committed to not buying new when that new ‘thing’ we really ‘want’ starts to take up our thinking.
3. WATCH One Thing
Getting a visual idea of how much our consumption impacts the planet can DEFINITELY inspire us to make some changes.
We all need to ask: where does my stuff ‘go’ when I throw it out?
From clothes to household items, rubbish and food waste don’t just disappear when we throw it away – so where does it end up?
Watching videos and media on what this looks like in reality can help better educate us about our consumption so we can make better decisions about how, when and why we buy.
4. One Thing In One Thing Out
A great way to give back to the community, help others and reduce what you have in the home is to practice a ‘one in one out’ policy.
Anytime you bring something new home (whether a secondhand purchase or a new item), think about what you could donate instead. Could you offer clothing you no longer wear to the local homeless shelter? Toys to the local hospital for the children’s ward? Blankets to your local animal shelter?
We all accumulate ‘stuff’ we don’t need. Let’s all help each other out where we can.
5. Make Your Pledge
Ready to make your pledge this month and buy nothing new?
Great!
Head to the Buy Nothing New Month website and sign up to make your pledge.
Wherever you’re at, there is no competition here. It’s not about judging one another for how we get involved – the month should be fun with a focus on supporting each other to adopt new habits that benefit the planet and our communities.
Explore a Sustainably-Minded Career
At Explore Careers, we’re proud to partner with some incredible employers who make sustainability a top priority across their business.
Head to our Employer Profiles and search for ‘sustainability’ to discover who’s who and how they’re making our communities better, healthier, safer places for all and our planet.
We’re continually adding new employers across various industries, so keep checking back!
