`Director:` `Availability:` > [!info] > ## Summary “Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy” is a 2024 Netflix documentary directed by Nic Stacey that delves into the manipulative strategies employed by [[Corporations]] to drive [[Consumerism]] and the resulting [[Ecology|environmental]] consequences. The film is structured around five central “rules” that encapsulate these corporate tactics: # 1. Sell More: Corporations aim to maximize sales by creating demand, often for products consumers do not genuinely need. Maren Costa, a former Amazon user experience designer, discusses how companies design seamless purchasing processes to encourage impulsive buying. # 2. Waste More: The concept of planned obsolescence is highlighted, where products are intentionally designed with limited lifespans to ensure continuous consumer purchasing. Nirav Patel, CEO of Framework, emphasizes how devices are often made unrepairable, leading to increased waste. 3. Lie More: Companies often engage in greenwashing, misleading consumers about the environmental friendliness of their products. Jan Dell, a chemical engineer, points out that many products marketed as recyclable are not, in reality, effectively recyclable, thereby deceiving consumers about their environmental impact. 4. Hide More: Corporations frequently conceal the true environmental and social costs of their products. Jim Puckett, a waste investigator, reveals how electronic waste is often shipped to developing countries, where it is dismantled under hazardous conditions, hidden from the consumers’ view. 5. Control More: The film discusses how corporations consolidate power to shape consumer behavior and public policy. Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, discusses the need for companies to take responsibility for the end-of-life of their products and the importance of systemic change to address overproduction and waste. The documentary features insights from various industry experts and former corporate insiders, including: • Maren Costa: Former Amazon user experience designer, who discusses the intentional design choices made to encourage consumer spending. • Eric Liedtke: Former Brand President of Adidas, who talks about the responsibility of industries to manage the lifecycle of their products. • Nirav Patel: CEO of Framework, who emphasizes the importance of designing products that are repairable to reduce waste. • Jan Dell: Chemical engineer, who critiques the myth of recycling as a solution to overproduction. • Jim Puckett: Waste investigator, who exposes the hidden realities of electronic waste disposal. • Paul Polman: Former CEO of Unilever, who advocates for corporate accountability in product lifecycle management. Through these perspectives, the film urges viewers to reconsider their consumption habits and calls for systemic changes to address the environmental impacts of consumerism. ## Key Takeaways ## Quotes - ## Notes [It’s time to break free from plastic pollution - please join me in calling for a strong Global Plastics Treaty.](https://act.gp/42dAeM1) `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:` [[Film index]]