Articles on prevention from the former Hungarian versions of Waste Diver (Kukabúvár)

They don’t rebel, they consume

Young people in Europe are loyal to brands, do not rebel and are not really interested in social problems – says news site [origo], referring to an international survey. „They are concerned only with themselves and their surroundings. While young people were rebels five or ten years ago, today’s generation of twenty-so years old are conformists. The needs of today’s undergraduate generation are determined by the drive to consume. Young people seize the day, go to parties and are reluctant to engage in a long lasting relationship which involves responsibility.

However, there are a couple of things to rebel against. There has never been so much money in the hands of so few people. People are becoming more and more defenceless, their freedom is shrinking but nevertheless, young people feel just the opposite tendency. They party and consume because this is the role given for them. In the meantime, they do not rebel against anything. There is no point in going in for „social issues” since politicians monopolised these issues.

The study points out that brands provide protective shelters for young people. Brands are like signposts: they indicate the group a young person belongs to; they become individuals by the brands – at least they think so.

They think so because they cannot see an orientation point. Who could show them a way in the world dominated by shopping mall managers, luxury house owners, media starlets, superannuated media stars and would-be politicians? As long as the standards of public education, mass media, political and environmental culture do not rise here (and elsewhere), no orientation point could be found for quite a long time…

Anyway, we are applying humbly as one…

Buy Nothing!

This year’s Buy Nothing! Day was an excellent opportunity not only to accentuate our critical remarks in the current pre-Christmas shopping fever, but to have a chance to introduce a recently set up ecological consumer protection work group formed by a couple of green NGOs in Hungary, such as the Energy Club, HuMuSz, ETK, Reflex, Protect the Future, Green Youth and Association of Eco-minded Consumers.

Weeks before Buy Nothing Day, our activists sent countless emails to mailing lists, and following our campaign the press began to show some interest for us. This interest was fairly active, but nevertheless quite unfriendly, similar to press reactions to most of the civil environmentalist initiatives. Most journalists were waiting for some spectacular result, a massive drop in consumption for example but they failed to recognise the message, the symbolic importance and the consumer criticism of this day.

Our anti-campaign for advertisements addressed the intellectuals with a flair for alternative culture: TV spots for Buy Nothing! Day made by the Canadian Adbusters Media Foundation were screened in two movie theaters in Budapest and in one in Pécs instead of commercials.

The attention of club-goers was also called to the upcoming Buy Nothing! Day. In the clubs and discos of Budapest, 10,000 postcards were distributed to advertise the day when even the most notorious buyers should give it a rest. Attentive inhabitants of the capital could spot our Buy Nothing Day stickers on billboards, which made fun of the original advert. The stickers were put on during the night by enthusiastic activists of Gerilla Propaganda.

What you can do today…

Shopping

• Buy only those products you really need. Don’t buy junk.
• Avoid prize-winning games.
• When buying, the coloured wrapping and/or adverts shouldn’t influence you.
• Don’t buy products which are over-advertised – you’re paying the cost of advertising.
• Don’t buy products in excessive wrapping. Choose the ones in less wrapping.
• Let the unwanted wrapping in the shop. Waste from commercial activities mustn’t increase our waste collection fee.
• Refuse plastic bags when shopping – always carry market-basket or canvas bag with you.
• Refuse to buy products in combined wrapping (boxes made of different materials, for example plastic, aluminium foil and cardboard containing fruit juices, milk).
• Don’t buy drinks in aluminium cans. Refuse products in other kind of wrappings made of metal (tinned food, tubes).
• Don’t buy plastic bottles, especially when they’re not returnable.
• Choose reusable products or items in recyclable wrapping.
• Choose products and wrappings made of natural raw materials. If you can’t, choose products and wrappings made of recycled or easily recyclable materials.
• Choose products in refillable packaging, choose roll-on deodorants instead of sprays.
• Choose durable, reparable products. Refuse disposable products.
• Don’t throw away anything that still works or is reparable or usable for another purpose.
• Buy in commission shops and second-hand books stores. Use public libraries.
• Don’t buy energy-wasting devices.
• Don’t buy toxic materials and potential hazardous waste.
• Buy at market places and directly from the farmer, if you can.
• Prefer small producers and retail shops.
• Put up food instead of buying conserves.
• Buy fresh food instead of canned or frozen food.
• Choose bioproducts. Don’t poison yourself and your environment unnecessarily.
• Don’t buy genetically modified food.
• Don’t buy goods manufactured abroad if you can find the same goods produced in your country instead. Prefer buying goods manufactured in your own town or nearby your home.
• Refuse to buy products tested on animals.
• Refuse to buy from companies whose employees work under dire condition for starvation wages.
• Don’t eat the junk food of fast-food restaurants.

Tips for home

• Don’t use your car if it’s not necessary.
• Walk or ride your bicycle to reach your destination. Travel by train, use public transport.
• Watch only programs of high standard on television.
• Use compost in your garden. Don’t burn leaves.
• Gather rainwater for watering your garden. Don’t use insecticide made of chemicals on plants – use natural insecticides.

Public life

• Campaign for the taxing on the following products: goods from abroad, products in excessive wrapping, disposable products, plastic bottles and cans, advertisements, energy-wasting devices.
• Teach everyone to consume less. Participate in Buy Nothing! Day, Do Not Use Your Car Day and TV Turnoff Week.
• Voice your opinion that public institutions should spare energy and use recycled paper.
• Try to achieve the protection of that natural resources (water supplies, the atmosphere, the living world) by law and by economic means as well.
• Try to achieve the mandatory selling of „white goods”. These products should be free of value-added tax.
• Campaign for the introduction of luxury tax.