21st November 2005

Greens have given their support to 'Buy Nothing day' on Saturday 26th November.

'Buy Nothing Day' has been set up by a international loose coalition of environmentalists, churches and peace-activists along with anti-consumerists. It invites people to buy nothing on one day of the year.

Philip Booth, a spokesperson for Stroud District Green party said: "The Green Party has long questioned the consumerist nature of our society. We are all invited to spend more and more, buying more and more goods which are decreasingly necessary. On Buy Nothing Day people are being asked to just think whether or not the purchases they make are necessary. If not, well just don't buy it."

Philip Booth said: "The idea is not just to change habits for a day but to encourage us all to think more about the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. It is about asking people to consume less, recycle more and challenge companies to clean up and be fair. Tesco, Starbucks, Gap and McDonalds are everywhere - our independent retailers are undersold and out-marketed by these global corporations. Many of us are encouraged to go into debt to buy more. We need to challenge this rampant consumerism."

Greens point out that every item which is sold had to be made (using up finite natural resources), transported (causing air pollution), sold (potentially causing debt), frequently over-packaged (ending up in a landfill) and eventually (or sometimes quite quickly) needing to be disposed of itself (again ending up in a landfill). Greens ask people to consider whether an item is necessary at all, but if it is, to ask if is it overpackaged or recyclable or built to last.

For more information, go to www.buynothingday.co.uk