12 Months of Anti-Capitalist Resolutions
New Year's Resolutions- some people love them, some people hate them, some people start them and then quit. If you're looking for resolutions beyond fitness or learning a new language, here are twelve months of changes you can choose from to fight back against capitalism and make a more positive impact on workers and the environment.
Break Up With Slave Labor Treats, Starting With Nestle: If you boycott *any* company for *any* reason, you really need to be boycotting Nestle as well. Nestle has a long and sordid history of using child slave labor , water theft , and violating international baby food marketing regulations. It's easier than ever to find affordable fair trade substitutes for products like Tollhouse Chips. Start by avoiding products clearly labeled as Nestle; when you're ready to take it up a notch, download the Buycott app to help you avoid their subsidieries.
February: Break up with your bank, join a credit union. If for no other reason, the fact that major banks such as Chase buried studies about climate change to protect their profits is a good enough reason to make the switch. Plus, your local credit union benefits the community, not shareholders.
March: Join a Buy Nothing group. Buy Nothing groups give you the ability to get items free (and they are not always used- this year I got a locking laptop bag with new with tags!) It also allows you to pass on items you no longer need, keeping those items out of the waste stream and perhaps blessing someone who couldn't have afforded to buy that item.
April: Grow at least one thing you can eat. Yes, I'm the last person in the world to suggest this. But I do grow my own sage and parsley. It's not much, but it's something. Even a potted basil plant from the grocery store is something!
May: Break up with Amazon and start a bookshop.org wishlist. Some people don't have a lot of good options for food or medication outside of Amazon, and that's understandable. Even then, we can buy fewer things overall, and order books digitally instead of physically.
June: Host a Clothing and Household Goods Swap: Another way to keep things out of the waste stream and money out of retailer and manufacturer hands.
July: Paradigm Shift: Gifts can be Second Hand: Shifting our thinking this way not only cuts down on the manufacture of new products, it opens us up to gifting vintage or out of print items.
August: Make a “No Brand New Clothes for One Year” Pledge : Fast fashion is extremely damaging to the environment and exploits workers . One way to avoid being part of this is to to take a year (choose your starting point) where you buy NO new clothing. (Yes, I'd totally buy socks and underwear first!). When the year is up, reassess your relationship to buying new clothing. NPR has some great tips on avoiding fast fashion.
September: Establish a One In, One Out (or one in, two out) Policy: This can be for anything-shoes, shirts, mugs, dice, candles- anything you tend to impulse buy or buy more than you need. Impulse buying can be cut down if you slow down and ask yourself: what item am I willing to get rid of to buy this item? Is the tradeoff worth it?
October: Join a CSA: Of course, you have to eat. And even if you grow one or more things you eat, you probably won't grow it all. Joining a CSA allows food to (usually) be conveniently delivered to your doorstep, reduces your carbon footprint by using food that travels fewer miles, and keeps your money out of big box grocery stores.
November: Give the Gift of Experiences: Before you shop the Black Friday sales, think of experiences you can gift such as an online class, a zoo membership, restaurant gift cards, or concert tickets. (Please keep pandemic safety in mind when making such purchases.)
December: Homemade for the Holidays: Whether you make it yourself or purchase through Etsy or a local craft fair, homemade gifts are meaningful, keep money out if big retailers, and support small businesses or individuals. Just remember- if your gift contains chocolate, make sure it's fair trade!
Labels: anti-capitalism, Boycott Nestle, Buy Nothing Day, fair trade, homemade, minimalism, New Year's Resoluations
posted by gojirama @ 3:55 PM
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