Use Your Individual Power To Punch Up
Illustration by Alva Skogg
Words by Aja Barber
I remember the first time someone shot me down on social media for speaking up about individual action. My post related to the fact that when UK supermarkets started charging for plastic bags, people took the initiative to bring their own and plastic bag usage dropped by 90%. Their response was, “Well, what’s the point of doing anything when corporations are doing the most amount of damage?” It felt so defeatist. While I completely understand why some might be turned off by the idea of individual action, I still see an importance there.
It’s always made sense to me that before we can do the big things like hold our governments and large corporations accountable we must do the small things within our own lives because it motivates us and gives us hope. Individual action has a purpose as it draws our attention to the problems on a larger scale. When I cut down my personal use of plastic it highlighted the abundance of packaging I saw in use in supermarkets. This realization urged me to encourage my newsletter readers to hold their supermarkets accountable for plastic overuse and to be more vocal. Without that simple individual action, I wouldn’t have voiced my concern direct to stores or shared my thoughts with my wider network.
“The impact of individual action can really be felt through collective buying power. ”
The impact of individual action can really be felt through collective buying power. Across the industry, fast-fashion brands are taking financial dives. In 2019 H&M and Zara have found themselves facing store closures and Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy. Some of this is of course linked to the economic anxiety surrounding a possible recession in the US and Brexit in the UK, but we absolutely cannot deny that people are starting to wise up to the negative effects of fast fashion and they are making their voices heard through what they are—or more importantly are not—buying. We can’t change entire supply chains this way, but through a collective move, we can send a message to the big brands that we don’t like what they’re doing. This isn’t the same as governments regulating the producers of fast fashion, but companies implementing change because something is harming their bottom line is still a positive change.
However, it’s worth noting the privilege around individual action. I don’t participate in controversial protests in the UK because I can’t run the risk of losing my resident alien card with an arrest—that’s a privilege I don’t have—but much of the individual action that I do take part in requires time and some require a little extra money, both of which are a luxury. Just writing a letter to a political candidate means that you have 15 minutes in your day that perhaps someone else doesn’t have. I remember my grocery bags on every shopping trip because I don’t have children distracting me when I’m trying to get out of the house. Eating plants isn’t cheap, regardless of what people will tell you. My husband and I eat meat-free meals on most days because I cook a lot at home and our grocery bills are consistently high. We also have access to fresh food, something some people simply don’t have.
“In all of these movements towards living a greener life, there’s a lot of judgment and it’s so unhelpful. ”
Individual action like satire must always punch up, never down. In all of these movements towards living a greener life, there’s a lot of judgment and it’s so unhelpful. While I will happily criticize a fashion brand or the spread of misinformation, it is not my job to make someone with less privilege and power than me feel bad about the fact that they can’t afford a fully sustainable wardrobe or vegan diet. But telling a business to do better, that I can do. What I want most is for individuals to take down harmful systems, not each other, because when individuals act together to create a collective movement that is a truly powerful and impactful gesture.
What else can I do?
1. Before you buy, do your research. Does this brand pay living wages to all of its workers? How toxic are their methods? If it doesn’t add up, move on. You can be part of the solution by deciding where you spend your money.
2. We can’t buy our way into sustainability. Before your next purchase, ask yourself
How much do I own already?
How long will this item last?
How will this item end its life?
3. Lobby your local representative on environmental issues that are important to you. Call, email, show up and push for the changes you want to see.
4. Use your voice! Use your social media to share info, ask more of your favourite brands and inspire change in others.
5. Recycle. Reduce. Repair. Reuse. Repurpose. Repeat.