Would you join the Compact?

Maybe you've heard of Buy Nothing Day, the culture-jamming antidote to day-after-Thanksgiving shopping madness. What if you turned that into Buy Nothing New Year? A bunch of San Franciscans are doing just that, by pledging to join the Compact. No, it's not athrowback to a Bay area cult or commune of the last century. It's just a group of about 50 folks (with a blog) who vow to get off the consumer grid by not spending money on anything new unless it's for food, health, or safety. As the SF Chronicle explains:

Compacters can get as much as they want from thrift shops, Craigslist, freecycle.org, eBay and flea markets, as long as the items are secondhand. And when they're in doubt, they turn to their fellow Compacters for guidance...American consumerism, they say, has led to global environmental and socioeconomic crises, and the only way to reverse it is to stop buying into it.

What do you think? I already buy most things used or on sale, though I splurged on half-price cashmere last week. Should I go for it? Gulp. What's stopping you?

technorati tags: sustainable consumer compact san francisco recycle

Comments

[RNN]

Im afraid this might end up being a little bit like people who go on no-sugar, no-fat diets. How long does it last? Let's just say not very. I would sign the compact for a month. Or a week. And then try and figure out why I was having trouble getting through that month. That week. That day.

[GUINARD]

what i love in your web site is the principe who make it live . I'm french and i'm a charismatic future ambassador of compacters a future great books autor IN FRENCH ONLY but i'm poor and dont want to live under the rain in the streets of france.French streets will kill me. Please compacters give me the proof of your solidaritie and send me money.i dont want to be kill by the systeme in the street whith in my head the ultime picture of sarkosy .We see this bastard everywhere we go . PLEASE GIVE ME A LITTLE I LOVE YOU COMPACTERS . GIVE THIS E MAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS I NEED MONEY QUICKLY SEND IT AT THE MAIL/ GUINARD 11 RUE ADOLPHE LERAY 35000 RENNES boobadelpueblo@live.fr

[Bruce]

Hey what a great site. I reckon that the Compact is the way to go. I am a cheapskate by birth ( Scottish Decent ) but seriously I realy hate waste, like people chucking out a TV on the Curb because they want a bigger one.

I'll sign Up for the Compact where's it at?

[clare]

i think its a good idea, but a bit difficult so i am starting small, i will buy as much as i can second hand, and try to go without somethings, i am a cheapskate anyway and seem to attract peoples stuff, i dont know why but people just give me stuff, i didnt buy my bed, my bike or half of my clothes. I think that even if we dont want to go the whole way we can look at the tips and take some of the idea's into account, wow, i make no sense, need sleep. goodnight

[panasianbiz]

I stumbled across your blog while I was doing some online research. I'm torn about this one. Yes, it would certainly help the environment and fight over consumption, but our economy is based on consumerism. Not sure how I stand on this!

[Rebecca Carter]

Really interesting. Reminds me of a concept like the 100-mile diet. (http://thetyee.ca/Series/2005/06/28/100Mile/) Also, did you see the newest Treehugger video: Swaporama? I link to it from my blog post: http://www.greenermiami.com/greenermiami/2006/03/swaporama.html

Great blog, by the way.

[mig]

Its a little too much.. did you see that blog? I totally agree that we are overwhelmed with consumerism though. This is going to become another obsession. Welcome to the next wave of self righteous San fransicans.. dirt hipsters on bikes look out. This is the next image race for who is the scummier looking person with the most recycled stuff. Finally, American apparel will come out with a line of recycled clothes stamped with their logo and paris Hilton will wear it to the next red carpet event. Maybe its not so bad afterall.

Compacters, welcome to the lives of the poor. Just dont mock us.. I actually cant claim poverty, well that is questionable too. I did come poor to this country. The salvation army saved my ass growing up.. now its cool to wear thrift shopped clothes. I shamelessly wear and keep the same clothes for as long as I can. I hate shopping for clothes actually..hate it. Thus, i still rock stuff from high school, Im 30. I dont really care too much for style on the daily, but I do have my secret stash of prada and gucci that I bought 3 years ago after loosing my sweet dot com job. Yes one of these compacters is just dying for me to get rid of my prada shoes so they can brag about what they found on craigslist. Good luck buddy, you are not getting my shoes!! Ill give them to my younger cousins in Peru.

I think real change starts inside....instead of obsessing on compacting, first change your desire to have more stuff... why do we need all of this crap anyway?