design: Lily Clark
Walking through the mall looks different at each time of year. In late November, one will be able to see the large banners broadcasting the stores’ 70 percent off sale, and going into the holiday season, the signs will have switched to gift guides for loved ones.
Different times of the year are associated with different events and activities for everyone. Buying gifts for oneself and others is one of these that the vast majority of people partake in at the end of each year.
The holiday season sends everyone into a frenzy trying to find the perfect gift for the people in their lives. The days of deals such as Black Friday or Cyber Monday only heighten the anticipation of getting and giving gifts since so much is on sale.
However, because of the massive sales that take place at nearly every store, many buy much more than they would at any other time which leads to overconsumption of goods and materials. This brings the question of how much is too much?
According to Adobe Analytics, online sales have increased by 2.3 percent from last year’s Black Friday to this year. $9.12 billion was spent purely online, and much more was also spent in stores.
The growth in the sales and money spent shows that people are spending more and getting more than they have in the past. And while good deals are important to saving money, it is important to keep in mind what is needed and what does one want just because of the deal.
Whether one is looking to buy a toy, a new game, or some clothes for themselves or someone else, not much thought is being put into what it took to make the product. Many resources like plastic go into the production of these products and increased consumerism causes an increase in the use of these resources.
Whether a new toy is bought for a kid, or it’s simply the packaging of the online orders people have placed, plastic is very prominent with the consumption of goods. In a year, the toy may be broken, or irrelevant to the child who initially wanted it, and the packaging that contains the other goods are ripped off in seconds of the package’s arrival.
These plastics will end up being dumped as they no longer serve a purpose. What kid wants to play with a broken toy, and who decides to keep the plastic coverings of their orders?
The unfortunate reality is that no one does. These plastics will eventually be in a dump, and will sit there or end up someplace like a river or in the ocean where it can kill wildlife and pollute the water.
According to National Geographic, about eight million tons of plastic end up in the ocean from coastal nations annually, and the plastics kill millions of animals each year as well.
Nevertheless, it isn’t practical to give up gift giving; it has been a tradition for a long time for many. And no one is going to stop buying gifts and shopping when deals are good. I wouldn’t either.
However, it is necessary to think about what and how much we buy. Increasing rates of consumption not only bring us more goods, but it does more damage to the environment as well.
Shopping through sustainable brands or buying what is truly necessary for oneself and for others are good ways to combat the issue. Ultimately, we can all do little things to help the problem, but most importantly as we shop this holiday season, being mindful of what we are purchasing is the best way to go about the holiday season.
