Environmental Awareness Module - Planet / Sustainability

5. SESSION: How to buy less, save money and live more freely

Welcome page.

Welcome to your fifth session of the Sustainability module!

It will take you 1 hour and a half to complete it, so be sure to be comfortable in your current space, to have a nice cup of tea with you (and maybe a snack if you need it!).

For this session you will need:

A device with Internet access and sound output
A notebook and a pen
Markers, color pencils or watercolors for the final creative activity

Index of contents

What is minimalism
Disconnecting ourselves from the false urgency of advertising.
And when do I need to buy something?
How to choose ethical companies
How to identify greenwashing

After this session you will be able to:

Understand what minimalism really means
Identify the messages that encourage us to buy
Identify new ways to consume less and better
Share what you have learnt with other people

Ready? Let’s go!

Introduction to the session

In this session you will be able to deepen your understanding of the concept of minimalism and perhaps break stereotypes you may have about this lifestyle.

You will also be able to reflect and learn about another way of acquiring objects and how to evaluate those needs before buying them.

Finally, we will deepen the concept of greenwashing to become more critical consumers.

What does the title of this lesson suggest to you?

Do you think it is possible to learn to consume less and better? Have you ever thought that living in a more sustainable way meant saving money and enjoying your time more? Take 5 -10 minutes to reflect about these questions and answer them honestly.

Learning content

What is minimalism

When you think of minimalism, you may think of half-empty houses, gray clothes, challenges to get rid of X number of objects in X days or a “title” that you will never get because it is too complicated.

In essence, minimalism is an invitation to review our relationship with the objects we own, with our habits, with our way of consuming news, with everything that distracts us from what gives us peace of mind and well-being. It is a way of letting go of what does not do you good and, therefore, it is an attitude of continuous review and honesty. So no challenge, video or book is going to make you a minimalist if you don't first ask yourself why you want the things you'd rather not have at home.

✍️ Do you find yourself accumulating objects that you don't like or find useless? Do you think it would be easier for you to maintain a certain order and cleanliness at home if you got rid of things?

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Disconnecting ourselves from the false urgency of advertising.

A good first step is to limit our exposure to all the advertising claims that tempt us with promises of pleasure that are not fulfilled (or are, but only for a moment).

There is a lot you can do to avoid these purchases that you end up regretting later (because you don't use them, because they take up space, because you didn't really like them that much):

Stop following certain profiles on social networks that tend to provoke that urgent need to buy something.
Stop subscribing to commercial newsletters.
Delete from your phone apps of brands that you enter to distract you with something.
Reduce the time you spend in front of a screen.
Do not stop in shop windows if you are tempted by them.
Pretend you don't know that there are companies like Amazon or Glovo, which bring the item to your door almost immediately.
When we free ourselves from much of these stimuli we can appreciate all that we do have, we can have more conversations that don't revolve around material possessions, we can feel that what we own has nothing to do with what we are worth. We can, in short, feel much better.

✍️ Have you identified what your biggest sources of purchase calls are? Where could you start to reduce your exposure to them?

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And when you need to buy something?

When we detect a need (a coat, a computer, a table, an iron), we should look at that need and consider how we can meet it.

We encourage you to first ask yourself “do I really need this?” and try to be honest with yourself. If the answer is yes, then you wait. A week, two, three. Sometimes during that time you will realize that you don't really need it because you already have something that can fill that need.

If after that reasonable wait you still need that object, find a way to get it without buying anything new. Why? Because any object, however simple it may seem, has behind it a process of extraction, transformation and transfer of resources whose environmental and social impact is difficult to quantify. Therefore, as far as possible, always try to borrow, buy second-hand or rent. There are more and more platforms that make this possible.

And when you need something that has to be new? Let's say underwear, shoes, sunscreen, a diary or shampoo. Then you can ask yourself who you give your money to.

How to choose ethical companies (when possible)

When looking for something new, the first thing you can do is search online in sustainable brand directories. If you don't find what you're looking for, you can Google the name of the item followed by words like 'vegan', 'ethical', 'eco' or 'sustainable'. When you enter an online store, you can look for the 'Who we are' section so I can find out who I'm giving my money to. If it explains who is behind it, how and where they manufacture their products and what certifications they have, then keep browsing.

Even so, we recommend you always look at the description of the products to make sure of the materials they are made of, their origin and the care they require (does it make sense for you to buy a garment that can only be dry cleaned?).

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How to identify greenwashing

Have you heard of greenwashing? It is the marketing with which certain companies present a public image of environmental commitment when their activity is actually harmful to life on the planet.

Some examples would be that McDonald's logos and restaurants are green, that fast fashion brands have a small 'eco' line, or that oil companies allocate a lot of funds to promote environmental education and awareness programs.

There are several strategies to confuse consumers with this false image of sustainability:

Hidden compensation consists of classifying a product as green because of a single attribute. For example, when highlighting that something is made from recycled materials while ignoring the rest of the life cycle such as the toxicity of the production process, the impossibility of recycling the material, the emissions associated with transportation from the factory or the use of toxic chemicals.
The lack of evidence is based on presenting an environmental claim that cannot be easily contrasted and that does not have an official certification behind it. For example, when it is stated that a garment has a percentage of recycled fabric, but there is no way to prove it.
Vagueness consists of using ill-defined terms so that the consumer does not understand their real meaning, such as “100% natural”.
Irrelevance is based on making claims that are true but make no difference to the product, such as stating that it does not contain a chemical that is actually banned.
The lesser of two evils is claiming to be more environmentally friendly than competitors or similar products when it is still harmful to the environment.
Lying outright with false studies, statistics or certificates.
Worshiping false labels by giving a false image of third party endorsements with badges, certificates, labels and awards that in reality mean nothing.

These practices harm consumers because they do not know how to distinguish what greenwashing is and companies that are creating another business model because they tarnish their real efforts to be sustainable.

Some warning signs to be wary of are the omnipresent green color, brand names related to nature without any relation to the product, the percentage of budget allocated to advertising or environmental awareness programs, what that particular product represents in relation to the rest of the products offered by the brand...

✍️ We invite you to be aware from now on of greenwashing practices to which you may be exposed (in the supermarket, in shop windows, in advertisements...) and try to observe the claims with a critical eye.

Final reflection.

Draw a picture of what your daily life would be like if you got rid of everything that was cluttering you up. It can be abstract or not, whatever comes from your heart. Forget about trying to make it make sense to others or make it look "pretty," it's an exercise from you to you, enjoy it!

Additional information and resources:

Check out ‘The minimalists’ blog if you want to go deeper

To close:

What is clutter, a blog post by The minimalists

Our clutter isn’t relegated only to material things.
Sure, we own too much stuff:
Too many shirts and pants and shoes and bags.
Too many coffee cups and kitchen utensils.
Too many magazines and books and outdated technology.
Too much excess that clutters every corner of our homes.

But we also clutter our lives with destructive
relationships, careers, obligations,
rituals, busyness, minutiae, news, media,
politics, gossip, drama, rumors.

We clutter our attention with glowing screens.
We clutter our creativity with distractions.
We clutter our free time with trivialities.
We clutter our desires with attachments.

Our lives are brimming with existential clutter,
emotional clutter, mental clutter, spiritual clutter.
So much so that it’s hard to distinguish
what is clutter—and what is not.

We are stressed out, overwhelmed, and anxious
because we’ve filled our lives with disorder, chaos.

Although there is another way…

Look at an object, a commitment, a habit:
Does it enhance your tranquility
or increase your well-being?

That’s all you need to ask.
If the answer is no, it’s okay to let it go.

Now, that may not but an easy path,
but it is a simple one.