What are ‘Buy Nothing’ groups? Experts say trend can help Canadians handle inflation
Global News
Buy Nothing Group encourages a gift economy where community members give away items for free so someone in their neighbourhood can make use of them.
For Edith Wu, Facebook is not just a social platform to connect with friends and families, but also the perfect place to look for free items for her baby.
“I usually go on Facebook groups that give away free stuff in my local area. There are also mommy groups that sell secondhand items,” said Wu, who is a stay-at-home mom. “A lot of secondhand items are in great condition, getting them can stop these items from going to the landfill.”
There are over 700 buy nothing gift communities or private Facebook groups across Canada, according to the Find Your Community List maintained by the Buy Nothing Project.
The idea of Buy Nothing was founded in the U.S. in 2013 by Rebecca Rockefeller and Liesl Clark, encouraging a gift economy where community members give away items for free so someone in their neighbourhood can make use of them.
There is usually no buying, selling, trading, bartering, or money exchange involved, as the founders believe “a gift economy’s real wealth is the people involved and the web of connections that form to support them.”
While some treat buying nothing as their lifestyle, others participate in the social movement causally. The “Buy Nothing” lifestyle can reduce waste with the additional benefit of saving money amid the high cost of living, Canadians who participate in Buy Nothing Groups and experts tell Global News.
In Wu’s case, she is just trying to be more environmentally friendly.
“My son grew out of all his clothes within three months… a lot of things (became) unusable… the same for his toys, so I think (being in Buy Nothing groups) is a great way to reduce the number of items and packaging that goes to landfill,” said Wu. “You’d be amazed (by) what you find.”
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