Climate Action
Embrace Buy Nothing Day
November 28, 2025
Black Friday has become one of the most recognizable consumption events of the year. In the U.S. it falls straight after a major holiday, Thanksgiving, and has almost become part of the celebrations. But the flood of promotions and rapid-fire sales can feel overwhelming, especially at a time when many households face financial and emotional strain.
Amid this rush, Buy Nothing Day offers a pause. It invites reflection on what is really valuable and asks us to take into consideration the environmental cost of our rampant buying. For example, as of 2020, the global fashion and retail sectors accounted for roughly 10 percent of global carbon emissions and in 2019 alone the fashion industry produced nearly 92 million tons of textile waste.
A lot of this is driven by Black Friday and holiday shopping in general amplifies a variety of negative environmental effects, not just through the need for increased manufacturing, and use of resources and energy but also through the waste created by packaging, often plastic, and the greenhouse gas emissions caused by freight and shipping.
In 2022, e-commerce produced an estimated 3.88 billion pounds of plastic packaging waste worldwide that will persist for centuries. Every item we purchase carries emissions tied to extraction, manufacturing, and transport. e
Buy Nothing Day reminds us that celebrations don’t require high spending or shopping stress — they can begin with small, intentional actions that support personal well-being and the health of the planet. Here are a few gentle, accessible ways individuals and families can honor the season and the planet.
Begin with Stillness
In a season dominated by constant notifications and advertising, nature offers a counterbalance — a reminder that the natural world moves at a slower and steadier pace. So reconnect with the outdoors. Even a five-minute walk lowers stress, supports cardiovascular health, and brings your attention back to something grounding. Observing seasonal changes helps reconnect you to nature – a connection often is lost in the rush of the holidays.
As you walk, notice the sound of the wind, the crunch of leaves or the rhythm of your neighborhood. These details will deepen your awareness of your surroundings. When we pay attention to the world and community around you, it becomes easier to make choices that support your overall well-being and the planet’s too. Presence in nature naturally fosters stewardship.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Leonardo da Vinci
Inviting a friend or family member can turn this simple act into a community experience. Sharing time outside builds relationships without spending and offers a meaningful alternative to shopping. In that shared slowness, you create space for connection, setting a tone of intention that can carry through the season.
Care Through Re-Loving
Some of the most climate-friendly actions are also the most affordable and accessible. Extending the lifespan of items we already own naturally reduces demands on resources like water and energy. For example, keeping clothing in circulation for just nine additional months will lower its carbon, water and waste footprint by around 20 percent.
Re-loving what we own also reshapes our relationship with material goods. Mending a sweater or polishing shoes becomes a practice of stewardship, honoring the resources and labor that went into their creation. This shift encourages gratitude and re-centers attention on appreciation instead of accumulation.
Repair rituals also slow us down. They invite patience and focus, creating a sense of calm in a season that often encourages urgency. These everyday acts show that sustainability doesn’t need to be dramatic or costly — it can be quiet, intentional, and transformative.
Create From What You Already Have
Green living isn’t only about restraint; it can be deeply creative. Buy Nothing Day encourages projects that use existing materials, reminding us that innovation thrives on simplicity. Repurposing jars into candles, turning saved paper into cards, or cooking a shared meal from pantry staples all reduce waste and encourage resourcefulness.
Creativity with what’s on hand challenges the assumption that meaningful experiences require new purchases. Instead of buying craft kits or decorations, using existing materials highlights the potential already in our homes. This nurtures a mindset of sufficiency, an understanding that we often have enough.
He who is contented is rich.
Lao Tzu
Sharing a homemade card or crafting with others turns sustainability into something communal and fun. Whether the final product is polished or imperfect, the experience becomes a celebration all of its own.
Share Generously: Swap, Exchange, and Secondhand Giving
Gift-giving remains central to many holiday traditions, yet gifts don’t need to be new to be meaningful. Hosting a neighborhood swap for books, clothing, kitchen supplies, plants or toys extends the life of existing items and strengthens community ties. These exchanges reduce demand for new manufacturing and show how generosity and sustainability can align.
Swaps also help address a major waste challenge. In the United States, packaging and containers make up nearly one-third of municipal waste. Choosing secondhand gifts or participating in exchanges reduces this burden and promotes a culture of reuse.
Secondhand gifts carry something new items often lack: a story. A well-loved book, a thriving houseplant, or a gently used mug comes with a history and passing it forward becomes an act of connection. These gifts offer warmth that no plastic-wrapped package can replicate.
Slowing Down the Season
Amid constant invitations to buy more and move faster, rest becomes a quiet act of resistance. Moments of stillness—sharing tea, breathing intentionally, or engaging in a slow conversation—help recalibrate our rhythms away from urgency. Mindful practices reduce anxiety and strengthen emotional well-being, providing balance in an otherwise overwhelming season.
Choosing presence also reshapes our experience of holiday joy. Rather than measuring celebration by purchases or busyness, we focus on the quality of connection and the depth of each moment. Slowing down creates space for gratitude—for people, for nature, and for the fleeting moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.
You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.
Vernon Howard, American spiritual teacher
The Deeper Purpose: Why Buy Nothing Day Matters
Buy Nothing Day encourages consumers to slow down — not as a rejection of joy, but as an invitation to rediscover it. Each intentional choice — repairing an item, sharing instead of buying or simply resting — creates ripples that extend beyond one weekend.
When enough people adopt thoughtful habits, cultural expectations shift. Buy Nothing Day becomes not a restriction, but an invitation to cultivate balance and integrate joy, connection, and ecological responsibility into the season. Let this season begin with peace, one quiet, intentional act at a time.Prepping for the holidays? Here are facts that you can use to refute your climate-denying relatives. Sign up for our email list to get more articles delivered straight to your inbox.
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