Buy Nothing New Month

Could you buy nothing new for just one month?

From the water and energy used in production, to the fuel used in delivery, every new item we buy comes with an environmental price tag.

Buy Nothing New Month returned this November as we called on Brits to boycott Black Friday and the culture of impulse buys that goes along with it. Instead, we want to waste less, make the most of the stuff we already own, and cut our carbon footprint by buying nothing new – excluding essentials like food and medicine – throughout November.

Why Buy Nothing New?

If everyone on Earth lived like people in the UK, we would need over two and a half planets to regenerate and absorb our waste. As a society, we need to move to a circular economy that wastes less and puts more value on the things we already have.

In January, 73% of those taking part in Buy Nothing New Month bought nothing new, 75% of participants reused or repurposed what they had already, and 43% fixed, repaired, or mended an item. Buy Nothing New Month is an opportunity to re-think our resource usage and live more sustainably.

Buy Nothing New Month won the 2024 National Award for Education, Training, and Communication at the National Sustainability Awards, and was the recipient of the Silver Award for Behaviour Change Campaign of the Year at the 2024 Global Good Awards.

The campaign is part of a growing, global movement to reduce consumption and create a circular economy, sitting alongside Buy Nothing Day - celebrated internationally in November - and Australia’s Buy Nothing New campaign.

Am I allowed to buy anything new throughout November?

You will of course have to buy essentials such as food, medicine and toothpaste new. Some people’s version of essential may be different to others. For instance, you may have to buy something new for a child or in an emergency; it’s up to you to decide what this means, and whether it works for Buy Nothing New Month.

For everything else try buying second-hand, pre-loved, borrow or rent. Instead of buying new things for your children, how about getting them on board by getting them involved with ideas for how your family can take part in Buy Nothing New Month? This might help encourage them to embrace the pre-loved route instead.

If you feel tempted to buy things like toiletries that aren’t strictly ‘essential’, think about the waste you might be creating and consider whether there’s an alternative. For example, can you make a DIY face or hair mask, or body scrub from items in your kitchen cupboard. This one will definitely save you money as well!

Last time, Buy Nothing New Month was held in January. Why November?

When it comes to the environment, it's clear that events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday take us in the opposite direction to where we should be heading. Our research reveals that 70% of UK adults agree that Black Friday promotes the excessive consumption of goods and it's not hard to see why.

According to research by Leeds University, Black Friday alone is responsible for the release of around 400,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, 80% of impulse purchases (and the packaging they come in) end up in landfill.

That's why, this November, we're calling on our supporters to boycott Black Friday and join Buy Nothing New Month. It’s all about encouraging people to save their pennies and protect the planet by trying alternatives to buying new; reusing, repairing, or buying pre-loved to reduce the waste we generate. As the season of giving approaches, we’ll also be teaming with the experts to find out how to gift without buying new.

I recycle at home. Isn’t that enough?

It’s great that you’re recycling and this is definitely something to keep doing but we can do better. It’s much more beneficial for the environment to reduce your consumption. This means reusing and repairing items, borrowing and renting, and if you need to buy something, buy it second-hand.

Can I buy something new that will help me repair or restore an item?

Buy Nothing New Month is designed to challenge us to really think whether we need to buy an item new. Even if it will ultimately help us to repair or restore another item, first think about whether you can borrow or rent the tools that you need from a friend or neighbour, or check out Olio, Freegle, Freecycle, or Library of Things.

I’ve messed up and bought something new – what should I do?

If you’ve fallen off the wagon, hop back on. Don’t beat yourself up, just try and get on track for the rest of the month. This is a learning process and there are plenty more opportunities to avoid buying new and trying new things.

What do I get for taking part?

As well as our weekly newsletters with tips from experts, when you take part in Buy Nothing New Month, you’ll feel the benefit of having improved your wellbeing and living in a less cluttered home. You’ll have saved money after changing your buying habits, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that each time you reused, bought second-hand, rented or borrowed, you lessened your impact on the environment.