HELP SAVE THE PLANET
Be a good steward of the Earth
Respect our Mother
#stopbuyingtrash
Flow Chart: Should I Buy It?
Is it wrapped in plastic?
Is it disposable/single-use?
Can I live without it?
Yes
Did its production cause environmental harm?
No
No
No
No
Don't buy it!
Buy it!
Note About the Chart
It seems impossible to find commodities--even those necessary for our survival--that aren't plastic-wrapped, intended for disposal, and environmentally harmful. The chart is oversimplified to serve as a general guide, not to cover every situation. There are many practical obstacles to wise consumption when we must consume. But so long as we keep these tenets in mind and follow them as best we can, we can meaningfully reduce the waste stream destined for our landfills and oceans. Rejecting harmful products demonstrates to producers our unwillingness to be complicit in transferring Earth's natural resources to the landfill.
Project Goals
1) Identify linear capitalist consumption as a driver of ecological destruction: resources are stripped from ecosystems for temporary human use and permanently discarded.
2) Communicate that when we buy, we must take the life of the item into account. We have an obligation not to unnecessarily generate more waste.
3) Inspire collective change in consumptive habits. Everyone's actions matter; everyone's minds matter more. When we accept the need for changes in the system of production and consumption, legislative pressure to legally enforce these changes becomes more feasible. In this way producers can be held accountable for the collateral damage of industry.
About the Project
#stopbuyingtrash is a student-led environmental communication project started in 2021 to raise awareness of consumptive habits in the industrial world and encourage reflection on one's own consumption. These habits must be changed if we are to achieve a sustainable present and livable future.
Get Involved
If you sympathize with the message to #stopbuyingtrash, share the hashtag and this website on social media to help inspire others not to feed the landfill. Post the image with the QR code linking to the site for an easy way to share!
