The world often asks for truth in advertising. Unfortunately, sometimes the things we ask for are not exactly what we want.
Take this Reddit user's recent post to r/Anticonsumption for instance.
The post is titled "They're not even trying to hide it anymore," and it contains an image of an Instagram ad for a jellyfish lamp. Nothing out of the ordinary, right?
Well, the OP's ire comes from the text in the ad, which reads "Another day, another totally unnecessary lamp purchase."
We know that excessive consumerism is a big landfill-packing, carbon-releasing issue today. That's why an anticonsumption subreddit with 900k+ members even exists. But do the companies pushing this environment-harming behavior also have to shove it in our faces?
The caption in the post added more infuriating context. It read, "$75 lamp and they're suggesting that its only value is an impulse buy."
That hits directly on the issue at hand. Not only does this product represent the unnecessary consumption of low-value goods, but it also comes at a steep cost. It hurts the planet and your wallet.
Fortunately, there are people out there like those in r/Anticonsumption who see the real truth in this advertising. There are many others, too, and they've got some answers to this widespread societal issue.
One of those answers is upcycling, or transforming old things that many might consider garbage, and giving them new purpose. This can be done with anything from old clothes to discarded luggage to nearly anything your imagination can dream up. Some companies, such as 711, are even upcycling on a large scale.
|
Which factor would motivate you to pay more for a sustainable product? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Superior quality 💎 It's easy to fall into the consumerism trap. Companies everywhere are doing everything they can to snare you in it every day — and now they're clearly shameless about it. But if we start looking at old items as opportunities for creativity rather than garbage, we can have all we need without harming the planet to get it. We can also save money doing it, which never hurts.
Commenters were reasonably incensed by the post.
"This advert is for people with more money than sense, and who lack impulse control," one said.
"That's a very cool looking lamp," another admitted. "But just as it says, unnecessary."
"Half a point for honesty," another quipped.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
