A week before Black Friday, I watched Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy on Netflix, a platform designed to keep us watching, much like Amazon keeps us buying. I even shared a LinkedIn post about it from my “planned obsolescence device”, the iphone…
Irony has made us live on a planet increasingly resembling Wall-E. This documentary offers much to reflect on as marketers, consumers, and individuals, especially with the growing phenomenon of greenwashing and wokewashing.
Greenwashing and the Illusion of Sustainability
From Amazon to Adidas, Unilever to Apple, the documentary reveals how major corporations leverage sustainability narratives to mask their ecological footprints.
Whistleblowers, including former executives from these brands, expose marketing strategies that prioritize optics over real impact. For instance, while Amazon’s Climate Pledge may seem progressive, it’s hard to reconcile with the massive carbon emissions generated by its operations. Can pledges like these truly make up for the damage caused by decades of unchecked growth? The answer remains uncertain.
Greenwashing becomes even more insidious when paired with planned obsolescence, a strategy where products are designed to fail, forcing consumers into a cycle of unnecessary replacements. As the CEO of iFixit explains, many devices are intentionally made unrepairable, leaving consumers no choice but to dispose of and replace them.
Wokewashing and the Performance of Progress
The documentary also touches on wokewashing, the practice of aligning with social justice movements to boost brand image. Employees like Amazon’s Maren Costa, who once spearheaded user experience innovations, now reveal the darker side of these narratives. While employee-led strikes and advocacy have pressured companies into announcing greener policies, such as Amazon’s Climate Pledge, the question arises, are these changes substantial, or merely performative?
Key Witnesses and Their Missions
The documentary introduces figures like Anna Sacks, a TikTok influencer with nearly half a million followers, who is leading the charge against corporate waste. Through her account @thetrashwalker, Anna regularly exposes the vast amount of perfectly usable items discarded by companies. From luxury handbags deliberately damaged to prevent reuse, to untouched packets of sweets and chocolates, her finds reveal the dark side of wasteful practices. In Buy Now: The Online Shopping Conspiracy, Anna dives deeper into the widespread dumping practices of major corporations, shedding light on how waste is engineered on a massive scale.
A Call for Accountability
The takeaway is clear, while individual actions are important, collective pressure on corporations is essential to driving meaningful change. This includes demanding transparency, supporting repair-friendly businesses, and holding brands accountable for their environmental impact. As consumers, we wield the power to disrupt the vicious cycle of excessive production and consumption.
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