it’s Cyber Monday, in case you didn’t notice all the ads for sales popping up all over the internet.
Impulse shopping is the nemesis of zero waste. So stay strong today, and try to resist those temptations. If you’re really getting suckered in, do the Google test to compare prices. Are you really saving that much? Then test the reviews. Did you know many Amazon reviews are fake? Check YouTube for reviews. You’d be surprised how that 4.5 star item is really an inflated 2 star item.
Lastly, Amazon doesn’t treat the majority of their employees very well, with many only making minimum wage while working long warehouse hours and being expected to fill ridiculous quotas. There was a recent report published this fall highlighting the Amazon warehouse workplace and it’s really awful considering the sickening amount of money the CEO Jeff Bezos has made ($143 billion dollars but who is counting?)
The inside of an Amazon warehouse
Today, Think of the EXTERNAL costs.
What’s an external cost, or externality? It’s the cost not considered in the actual price, like the materials, energy, water, human effort, transportation and health effects impacted by manufacturing the item. Like when someone buys a pound of beef, they’re not paying for the 1,200-2,500 gallons of water that went into producing it, or the methane released by the cow, or the grains needed to feed the cow, etc. The same applies to toys, clothes, and EVERY manufactured item.
The price of cheap goods is an illusion. Everything costs money. From the water in the strawberries to the plastic bags and stickers carrying your goods. You pay at the checkout stand or you pay in other more oblique ways. These external costs are hard to see. In fact, Sometimes they’re only visible to future generations. – lexiconoffood.com
There are so many thoughtful gifts you can buy that won’t create unnecessary waste. And you can still buy them online. Try Groupon. Give the gift of an experience: a cooking class, and online class from masterclass.com. You know what my favorite gift to receive is? Baked goods. Make me cookies and I’ll be your best friend forever.
Stay strong today! It will be Trashy Tuesday soon enough.
Resources:
https://www.thestreet.com/story/14312539/1/amazon-warehouse-employees-discuss-grueling-work.html
Zero Waste California 