Most shops are just landfill waiting to happen.

[SummerDaytoNight]

I mean, all are to a point, but I’m talking about the non essential ones.

Our society is engineering its own collapse. We only need food, health, house basics and clothing. And I suppose, technology.

Fast fashion could go. Housing should just be the essentials.

My friend took me into a shop called sostrene grene. It was lovely, but nothing was essential. Most shops are like that.

The horse has bolted, but I wish we could limit the unnecessarily stuff and just have the basics. Im not talking Amish level, but there’s no need for all this waste. It would be so much better if only the essentials were produced.

At the point of production, it’s already basically landfill.

This. Particularly “seasonal” merchandise. I look at Christmas and Valentines tat and see every single thing in a massive pit with veg peelings.

Completely agree.

Yes! It was seeing so much Easter tat that decided me to post this. Then you have Halloween, Christmas, summer/winter ‘essentials'. Plus autumn tat.

I agree and it's depressing. People are desperate not to hear it, though.

I agree, it's awful when you look at a shop such as B & M full of (mostly plastic) tat and then multiply that by all of their stores.

I certainly think the fast fashion companies ought to be taxed out of the market. Unnecessary rubbish.

Yes, this is what I see in many shops. Particularly the plastic tat shops - seasonal decorations, garden ornaments, fashionable decor items, etc.

It's so depressing.

I agree although I think seasonal merchandise (which I do love) is always unfairly singled out on here - almost everything all year round is destined for the landfill. Reusable water bottles, bags for life etc - there have probably been enough made now to give at least one to every person on the planet.

Maybe it’s wishful thinking but Trump’s tariffs could actually do something about all that. If we went back to an era where things were more expensive but built to last (because they were made locally) people wouldn’t buy so much stuff.

I agree the horse has bolted though. After doing a massive declutter a few years ago and going through hell to try and dispose of things as ethically as possible (eg give away/recycle etc) I try and be really mindful about what I buy most of the time - reminding myself what a ball ache it will be to get rid of it ethically when the time comes.

Oh and B&M and similar the same taxes, for the amount of plastic tat polluting every where.

I know i was thinking this the other day I can't enjoy shopping at all anymore it's so depressing. I'm not perfect, I do still treat myself to unnecessary things but I try to buy secondhand stuff when I can and I always think if I will use it again. It annoys me when people just buy loads of useless tat for one occasion that they will throw away the next day some people really don't give a shit.

YANBU. Most of the shops in my nearest town have shut down. It’s awful for the town, and sad for people who lost their jobs, but if I’m being honest, most of those shops were supplying nothing but tat.

Completely agree about the seasonal stuff and most decorative items. Plastic plants are especially sad.

I also get depressed by collectibles like jellycats or squishmallows … what are they FOR?? Future landfill for sure.

Then there’s all the stuff that is useful but has a really short shelf life. Built to a cheap price point and not intended to last. Electronic items like automatic pet feeder or headphones that last a year or two before breaking or mysteriously dying. I’d happily pay extra for a phone charging cable that lasts 5+ years but it doesn’t seem to exist.

I agree. Whenever I see a car boot sale or secondhand shop, I see piles of stuff that once looked new and trendy, but is now unwanted. It then hits me that we’re drowning in unnecessary stuff. I’m as guilty as anyone though - I buy unnecessary items and have too many.

I’m lucky that I can afford to buy good quality items that last. Many aren’t and people need an alternative. I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised by some supermarket clothes.

I was burned to the ground when I stated there was absolutely no need for a B&M in my town.

It is just cheap plastic shit, produced in china. There is zero need for this shop.

It could all end if we stopped buying made in china anything

I thought this yesterday. There's the halloween stuff, bonfire night stuff, christmas stuff, new year stuff, valentines stuff, mothers day stuff, easter stuff, summer bar-b-que stuff, back to school stuff (have i missed anything?) It's relentless. I know you dont have to partake (i only celebrate Christmas) but it's the piles of rubbish that bother me - as you say - headed straight for landfill. Its so depressing.

The question is, what do we do? A lot of people love it and DO partake because they can put it on social media for likes/money. Blow the cost to the planet.

I genuinely wonder who can afford to buy all this stuff at the moment. I saw a tiny 'jellycat' in the garden centre recently that I thought my sister might like (unusual theme) - they wanted nearly £30 for it!

I am with you OP, everything is plastic and not made to last at the same time.

I agree with a PP about tariffs, stupid plastic cr*p accessories, poor quality electronics and fast fashion should be tariffed to oblivion.

I was shopping yesterday and was just getting depressed. We're planning an event (hence my friend taking me to that shop), but I just don't want any of our anymore. Why do I need to buy tat? We just need food. Decorations can be natural (flowers) or not at all. I'm over paying today for tomorrow's landfill.

Completely agree. You will get the people on here shortly though saying that unless you are living in a cave eating grass and drinking rainwater you have no right to comment. Which is plainly nonsense but a trite argument they use to justify buying from tat merchants like T8mu and shitty Shein.

I like to think I'm a mindful consumer. Yes I have a phone and my most recent purchase online was a new custom made roman blind. At least 50% of my wardrobe is Vinted or charity shop and that's increasing all the time. The sofa I am sitting on is 22 years old and was restuffed and repaired last year rather than chucked to buy new. We do the whole banning on single use plastic thing.

But there is a growing trend to disposable - changing a roman blind every year rather than every decade, a new outfit for every occasion, buying stuff to celebrate everything from spring to Halloween and adding to that stash every year because most of what you buy is cheaply made and won't last.

I don't think plastic in and of itself is bad, things like Tupperware boxes can be reused for decades, plastic toys like Lego or Playmobile likewise, and can be sold afterwards. It's the poorly-made fast fashion and homeware/celebration utter shite which you find in B&M or Home Bargains or in the aforementioned chinese shite merchants which are the problem.

YANBU at all. I really don't enjoy shopping any more for this reason. I try only to buy consumables or things we really need.

I went to Ikea yesterday for a lighter duvet as I'm getting too hot in the night these days for a heavy duvet, and the piles and piles of STUFF I was walking through was utterly suffocating.

I kind of agree, but people consuming unnecessary goods brings in a lot of revenue and provides jobs - both locally and nationally. It's not as easy as shutting it all down quickly.

Also, the distinction between want and need is a fine one. On my desk I have a strip of 15 highlighters. I use all of them, so do my family. They're all different colours and will all be used several times a week. They will only be binned when they are all well and truly run out (in fact the most used one has already been replaced). They are also quite colourful on the desk. But I wouldn't die without them. STABILO BOSS ORIGINAL - Highlighter - Deskset of 15 - with 9 Neon Colours and 6 Pastel Colours : Amazon.co.uk: Stationery & Office Supplies

France are trying to fight this. I approve.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-lawmakers-approve-bill-apply-penalties-fast-fashion-2024-03-14/

because they can put it on social media for likes

Agree social media has a lot to answer for on the random crap front

For some reason the emphasis has shifted from celebrating something to buying things for a celebration.

Why is that, I wonder?