Speak for the Trees

Written by Liv Adao and Josie Hammond

Welcome back, tree huggers! Today we’re going to be talking about a prominent issue in our current world: consumerism! For our purposes today, we are defining consumerism as the continuous acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing quantities. It’s all too common nowadays to be bombarded with marketing for flashy items that are ultimately things nobody really needs, or even worse, things you already have, but “better”. Let us never forget the Stanley Craze of ‘23. . . For those of you who don’t know, the Stanley Cup was just another water bottle, until it became the subject of the world’s fascination through a couple viral TikTok videos. This spontaneously led to an uproar of people buying Stanley Cups, and even some people buying multiple colors of the same cup, thus eliminating the main purpose of buying a metal reusable water bottle. If you were in high school at this time, you probably couldn’t make it through a single class period where you didn’t see a Stanley Cup, or hear people complimenting the color of their friend’s cup. And this is only one example of millions of micro trends that are becoming more and more popular in our digital age where trends move so fast, the average person can’t help but get caught in the tide. Moment of silence for all the victims out there . . . You are not alone! And we are here to help! First, let’s hear Mary Oliver’s opinion on the matter:

We resonate with Oliver’s message of letting go of worldly possessions and material desire. As she describes, it’s easy to accrue trinkets and items that take up room in our space and mind, but don’t actually mean anything to us. The first half of her poem is a tall tale, warning of the end result of giving in to the consumerism we now see everywhere. One day, in the not so distant future, we will be digging through the back of our closet and find all of the odd things we bought because they were trendy or popular at the time, and we will ambivalently toss them into a donation pile. This cycle of buying things only to get an easy dopamine hit and then quickly discarding them is a harmful one, for both your mental state and the environment. It’s important to try to break out of this cycle, because as Oliver describes, ridding yourself of these purposeless things allows you to make space for the things that truly do matter, and allows you to live a life that is more healthy and sustainable. Even though it is not an easy cycle to break, it is important to try all the same, and we here at Speak For The Trees are here to offer some advice!

1. Do You Really Need It?

It can be easy to naturally open Amazon whenever you realize you’re missing some hair ties, or a new book. In the digital age of information, we have been conditioned to want to find the quickest solution to all of our problems, even when there are better options available. You just need to know where to look!

For starters, local libraries are reliable and typically close! Instead of rushing to your nearest Barnes & Noble, think instead about popping down to see what’s available at your library. Not only are you saving space on your shelves, but you’re saving trees! No need to buy a book when you can easily lend one from your kind librarian and simply give it back once you’re done reading. You’re able to support a sustainable cycle of lending and borrowing, one that isn’t just applicable to books. If you love a friend’s shirt, ask them if you can borrow it for a night. You don’t need to buy an expensive new hammock, just ask a family friend if they’d be willing to lend you theirs.

Additionally, be aware of the fact that the things you have might be perfectly fine already. In a world that is constantly trying to get us to upgrade to the newest and best iteration of a thing, remember that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

2. Where Can You Get It?

We here at Speak For The Trees believe in thrifting!! There is nothing more satisfying than searching through piles of clothing to find something awesome. If you’re reading this and you’ve never gone to a Goodwill, or a McKay’s or a Plato’s Closet you haven’t lived. You’re saving money and the Earth at the same time! What could be better? There’s no need to support harmful fashion industries that rely on cheap labor or unsustainable business practices when there’s a Goodwill just down the road and calling your name!

Fast fashion is a leading contributor to waste, with 85% of textiles annually being tossed in landfills. They rely on overproduction, which means they end up with large amounts of clothing that never end up being sold, and further contribute to the rising pollution problem on our planet. We urge readers to understand that you have the power to change statistics like this! It may seem like an insurmountable issue, but small actions create big results. 

3. What’s In It?

Obviously, you’re going to still need to buy things, even in a perfect sustainable utopia. However, it’s important to be mindful and aware of what things you’re buying, and what is in them.

When possible, always try to buy things that can be used more than once, or for multiple purposes. There are so many options out there now, some of our personal favorites are using jam jars as water cups, metal chopsticks, and tote bags. It’s important to, whenever possible, avoid plastic waste and throwing away disposable bags, cups, or utensils. Sometimes it can take some creativity, or a little bit more dishwashing, but we challenge you to be more aware of what you’re using and where it’ll end up after you’re done with it. It’s important to minimize the effect we have on the Earth with our waste, because it’s all too easy to forget what an impact we really do have.

Until next time, Tree Huggers! Your homework for this week is to think more deeply about the choices you’re making when it comes to purchases and material possessions, and maybe save some money while your at it!