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A Circular Economy — an economy where waste is designed out — might work. When I first heard about the idea of circularity, I thought it was a load of hogwash, a lofty buzzword that corporations across several industries have latched onto to sell their latest products or trick consumers into believing they’re operating ethically for people, animals, and the environment. As my colleague Sam Delgado reported for Vox, voluntary corporate social responsibility programs are notorious for being vague about the actual impacts of their supply chains (and lately, some companies pledging to be more environmentally friendly have abandoned efforts to do so). International regulation certainly isn’t where it needs to be to ensure the rights of workers and those who bear the burden of living near factories and landfills. Yet according to industry experts, designers, activists, and even the United Nations, a circular economy would help separate consumption from some of its ills and get us back on track to meeting key climate goals. (About3.3 percent of global emissions originate from the waste sector, but that’s not including the emissions during the production process in the textile, plastics, and technology industries. Textiles, for example, are responsible for about 2-8 percent of emissions, according to the UN.) It’s not a far-off idea, either: There are government-led initiatives and programs dedicated to solving how circularity would work. Scientists are figuring out how to recycle synthetic fabrics and lithium batteries and all sorts of materials. Brands are trying to design products that take end-of-life into consideration. These are all steps in the right direction. There’s just one question: Is this really possible?

Circularity, explained...... I like to think of the circular economy as a jacked-up “reduce, reuse, recycle” system. The hope is to keep materials in use for as long as possible with minimal waste, and to do so on a much wider scale. Right now, there are two main reasons why a lot of what we recycle doesn’t ever actually get made into new things: It’s either prohibitively expensive to do, or we just don’t know how to recycle that material yet (like most plastics). A circular economy also would aim to prevent waste from happening in the first place by designing products made to be recycled. “At the end of the day, it’s very much a system infrastructure change because you need to demonstrate resources, reverse logistics, and all these things,” said Hilde van Duijn, managing director of the Circle Economy Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to double global circularity by 2032. 
“The most tricky part about the transition to surface is the mindset.”Consumption, or the purchasing of new goods to satiate some need or desire, is a cornerstone of the modern economy for privileged countries and especially for the US. When quality of living goes up, so does consumption. And the production of consumer goods, for many low-income countries, allows for a chance of upward mobility through wages, at least in theory. In practice, however, the speed at which goods are made today has normalized cutting corners in quality and in wages for the people who make these items possible — all while the average consumer becomes trained to expect that a shirt should cost less than a dollar or a pillowcase should sell for $3.78. This dynamic is what helped push the US to become a top producer of garbage.

“Consumption is like a drug,” argued Peter Majeranowski, the CEO of Circ, a materials innovation company. “It’s a very tough thing to change because you’re working against psychology and you’re working against, frankly, very good marketers.” If the circular economy is going to change this pattern, then there are four areas for it to address: extraction, production, consumer use, and waste, with each area requiring different approaches and bringing up different questions. What would it mean to slow down extraction in place of reusing existing materials? What happens to the displaced labor? How are things (or energy) made? Who makes them? Can we design things to be efficient, long-lasting, and desirable? How can products be made so that they can be recycled? Where do you even start?.....read on  https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/370626/consumerism-circular-economy-single-use-recycling-landfill-garbage 

Speaking of Circular Economies there is a methodology that addresses this challenge.......What on Earth is the Doughnut?…..Humanity’s 21st century challenge is to meet the needs of all within the means of the planet. In other words, to ensure that no one falls short on life’s essentials (from food and housing to healthcare and political voice), while ensuring that collectively we do not overshoot our pressure on Earth’s life-supporting systems, on which we fundamentally depend – such as a stable climate, fertile soils, and a protective ozone layer. The Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries is a playfully serious approach to framing that challenge, and it acts as a compass for human progress this century. The Doughnut offers a vision of what it means for humanity to thrive in the 21st century - and Doughnut Economics explores the mindset and ways of thinking needed to get us there. First published in 2012 in an Oxfam report by Kate Raworth, the concept of the Doughnut rapidly gained traction internationally, from the Pope and the UN General Assembly to Extinction Rebellion.Kate's 2017 book, Doughnut Economics: seven ways to think like a 21st century economist,  further explored the econo mic thinking needed to bring humanity into the Doughnut, drawing together insights from diverse economic perspectives in a way that everyone can understand. This 2018 TED talk gives a summary of the book's core messages, and you can read Chapter One here. The environmental ceiling consists of nine planetary boundaries, as set out by Rockstrom et al, beyond which lie unacceptable environmental degradation and potential tipping points in Earth systems. The twelve dimensions of the social foundation are derived from internationally agreed minimum social standards, as identified by the world’s governments in the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Between social and planetary boundaries lies an environmentally safe and socially just space in which humanity can thrive.If you want to look deeper into the Doughnut, and Doughnut Economics, join us at Doughnut Economics Action Lab where we dive into much more detail on what it means for transforming our economies.......See you in the Action Lab!  https://www.kateraworth.com/doughnut/  https://doughnuteconomics.org/about-doughnut-economics

Haggardearth is introducing the Donut (Doughnut),a new category on the Home Page under  CLIMATE & ECOLOGY and will be combined with the Recycling sub- category.

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Consumerism is Key to Solve the Climate Change Equation. Greenly Earth Stephanie Safdie  28 Jul 2024  Consumerism has become the new norm – but it wasn’t always this way. If you showed someone in 1959 the newest Apple Watch, they would be in awe of its ability to track your heart rate and answer phone calls – but someone today would realise that it is only a precedent for future gadgets to come. An enormously productive economy demands political and economic power, which in turn – usually means further economic expansion through the development of consumer culture and encouraging people to purchase superfluous consumer goods. This type of consumer spending perpetuates economic growth, serves only a restricted population, and encourages a target consumer. In 2024, consumerism has become the new norm – but it wasn’t always this way. If you showed someone in 1959 the newest Apple Watch, they would be in awe of its ability to track your heart rate and answer phone calls – but someone today would realise that it is only a precedent for future gadgets to come. An enormously productive economy demands political and economic power, which in turn – usually means further economic expansion through the development of consumer culture and encouraging people to purchase superfluous consumer good r market to be developed for conspicuous consumption. However, what is most concerning about consumerism today is how it will continue to have an impact on climate change – but why? 

 
What is consumerism?...... Consumerism refers to an economic theory that without the inclination to purchase goods and services one does not need, that economic growth would never flourish. This is because if people only bought things when they needed them, businesses would never see the revenue that they currently do – such as Nike selling sneakers.  In fact, the immense productive powers created by consumer demand meant that U.S. consumer credit rose to $7 billion dollars by the 1920s – demonstrating how the economic system's orientation towards profit instead of survival may have awakened a new beast of mass production. “Consumerism can most easily be recognised and defined as whenever someone has the desire to purchase something that is already working fine – such as a new winter jacket or watch.” It is viable to presume that the excessive consumerism that we know today started with the Industrial Revolution – as it ignited the belief and passion amongst human beings that more productivity and creating will bring success and happiness. 

​After WWI, the U.S. tried to increase it's production rate to help urban middle class people to have access to a better economic life and to develop a steady state economy capable of allowing people to work less and make more to buy all their wonderful stuff. Therefore, instead of allowing people to work less to allot more time for their creative or educational pursuits or other spiritual and pleasurable activities – many business leaders viewed such a trajectory as a way to push for rampant consumerism.However, it is important to note that consumerism gradually made its way into society – such as with ads during World War II that would entice Americans to buy products that convinced them would be useful in the midst of war. “Think about it – how many times have you gone into a Nike store because the soles of your shoes are completely worn out and the laces entirely frayed? Odds are, you went into the store because you saw some shoes that caught your eye – and not because you were in dire need of a new pair.” “Consumerism can most easily be recognised and defined as whenever someone has the desire to purchase something that is already working fine – such as a new winter jacket or watch.”

It is viable to presume that the excessive consumerism that we know today started with the Industrial Revolution – as it ignited the belief and passion amongst human beings that more productivity and creating will bring success and happiness.  ​After WWI, the U.S. tried to increase it's production rate to help urban middle class people to have access to a better economic life and to develop a steady state economy capable of allowing people to work less and make more to buy all their wonderful stuff. Therefore, instead of allowing people to work less to allot more time for their creative or educational pursuits or other spiritual and pleasurable activities – many business leaders viewed such a trajectory as a way to push for rampant consumerism. However, it is important to note that consumerism gradually made its way into society – such as with ads during World War II that would entice Americans to buy products that convinced them would be useful in the midst of war. 

What are some examples of consumerism?...... Consumerism refers to any purchase that is made when it is not absolutely necessary – which means that practically anytime you go shopping to the mall when you have some “cash burning a hole in your pocket” can qualify as practicing consumerism. For instance, if you are one of the people that follows fashion or make-up trends and sets out to buy a new jacket or mascara even if your old jacket isn’t worn out and the old mascara tube is still full – you are subject to consumerism.  “It is important to note that just because you are an avid shopper, it does not mean that you are contributing to consumerism – some people may shop smart and only when necessary, which doesn’t make them subject to excessive purchasing.
 
What is the relationship between consumerism and climate change?.......The relationship between consumerism and climate change may not be evident. However, the reality is that even if you aren’t a business owner responsible for hundreds of tonnes of carbon emissions on an annual basis – your consumerism habits probably still contribute to climate change.  Psychology isn’t off when it claims that much of our behavior is learned rather than intrinsic to our genetic being. In other words, humans have learned to consume in excess – it isn’t a trait we are biologically born with......read on  https://greenly.earth/en-gb/blog/ecology-news/consumerism-is-key-to-solve-climate-change-equation

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Can we grow the economy without making more useless junk?  We buy stuff. We throw it away. There’s a system to stop this toxic cycle.Vox Izzie Ramirez  Somewhere, my worn-out running shoes from college are likely sitting in a landfill, thousands of miles away from me and my apartment in Brooklyn. If the shoes haven’t been incinerated into toxic fumes yet, then forever chemicals and other pollutants are probably seeping from the electric green polyester-blend cloth — poisoning the land and water for the low-income communities living near the landfill. It’ll continue to do so for decades, or even centuries, to come. I had dropped the shoes off years ago in one of those donation bins in the basement of my dorm. From there, they likely went to an apparel-specific bulk collector and then shipped overseas in bales to a sorting facility or to some informal group that decides whether something is good enough to be resold to a secondary market, either by quality or by need. Maybe that year, neon shoes were doing really well in Colombia. If not, according to the several waste experts I spoke with, the shoes were sent to yet another country to rot away in a landfill. I didn’t know it at the time, but there was no guarantee that my donation would actually help anyone. Only about 15 percent of textiles in the US gets reused or recycled each year. The problem of textile waste is mind-bogglingly massive. The US throws away about 11.3 million tons of clothing a year, which equates to 81.5 pounds per person that gets dumped in landfills in the US or shipped to places like Chile’s Atacama Desert, where the textile waste is visible from space. In Ghana, the regularity of shipments that arrive there even has a moniker: dead white man’s clothes. And every day, the cycle continues. Americans and other wealthy countries continue to buy more stuff and, just like that, throw it away. It doesn’t help that the majority of what we buy these days is of lower quality, as I’ve previously reported.

What I’ve just described is the linear economy we live in now. But what if there’s a world where the polyester and nylon threads of my lime green shoes could be separated from each other, undyed, and then transformed into something brand new, like a rain jacket? And when that rain jacket was made, the company responsible for producing it created a plan for the end of the jacket’s life as detailed as the plan it made for selling it? In this alternative world, the company factors in the ugly external cost of disposal into the price of the jacket. Intentionally designing the jacket to be efficiently recycled might make it slightly more expensive, but it can help extend the value of the jacket. Not only are buyers more likely to take care of items they pay more for, but designing a product to be recyclable also literally extends that product’s use — exponentially so. That jacket could be taken back for repairs or company resale. Or it could be transformed again and again and again through innovative recycling processes, ensuring that the material in the jacket is no longer seen as disposable.If it costs money to throw something away, just as it would to make something new, well, hopefully you would choose the option that doesn’t require so much extraction of new materials and waste. Instead, you’d opt to reuse the materials you already have.

This is one way a circular economy — an economy where waste is designed out — might work. When I first heard about the idea of circularity, I thought it was a load of hogwash, a lofty buzzword that corporations across several industries have latched onto to sell their latest products or trick consumers into believing they’re operating ethically for people, animals, and the environment. As my colleague Sam Delgado reported for Vox, voluntary corporate social responsibility programs are notorious for being vague about the actual impacts of their supply chains (and lately, some companies pledging to be more environmentally friendly have abandoned efforts to do so). International regulation certainly isn’t where it needs to be to ensure the rights of workers and those who bear the burden of living near factories and landfills. Yet according to industry experts, designers, activists, and even the United Nations, a circular economy would help separate consumption from some of its ills and get us back on track to meeting key climate goals. (About3.3 percent of global emissions originate from the waste sector, but that’s not including the emissions during the production process in the textile, plastics, and technology industries. Textiles, for example, are responsible for about 2-8 percent of emissions, according to the UN.) It’s not a far-off idea, either: There are government-led initiatives and programs dedicated to solving how circularity would work. Scientists are figuring out how to recycle synthetic fabrics and lithium batteries and all sorts of materials. Brands are trying to design products that take end-of-life into consideration. These are all steps in the right direction. There’s just one question: Is this really possible?

Circularity, explained...... I like to think of the circular economy as a jacked-up “reduce, reuse, recycle” system. The hope is to keep materials in use for as long as possible with minimal waste, and to do so on a much wider scale. Right now, there are two main reasons why a lot of what we recycle doesn’t ever actually get made into new things: It’s either prohibitively expensive to do, or we just don’t know how to recycle that material yet (like most plastics). A circular economy also would aim to prevent waste from happening in the first place by designing products made to be recycled. “At the end of the day, it’s very much a system infrastructure change because you need to demonstrate resources, reverse logistics, and all these things,” said Hilde van Duijn, managing director of the Circle Economy Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to double global circularity by 2032. 
“The most tricky part about the transition to surface is the mindset.”Consumption, or the purchasing of new goods to satiate some need or desire, is a cornerstone of the modern economy for privileged countries and especially for the US. When quality of living goes up, so does consumption. And the production of consumer goods, for many low-income countries, allows for a chance of upward mobility through wages, at least in theory. In practice, however, the speed at which goods are made today has normalized cutting corners in quality and in wages for the people who make these items possible — all while the average consumer becomes trained to expect that a shirt should cost less than a dollar or a pillowcase should sell for $3.78. This dynamic is what helped push the US to become a top producer of garbage.

“Consumption is like a drug,” argued Peter Majeranowski, the CEO of Circ, a materials innovation company. “It’s a very tough thing to change because you’re working against psychology and you’re working against, frankly, very good marketers.” If the circular economy is going to change this pattern, then there are four areas for it to address: extraction, production, consumer use, and waste, with each area requiring different approaches and bringing up different questions. What would it mean to slow down extraction in place of reusing existing materials? What happens to the displaced labor? How are things (or energy) made? Who makes them? Can we design things to be efficient, long-lasting, and desirable? How can products be made so that they can be recycled? Where do you even start?.....read on  https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/370626/consumerism-circular-economy-single-use-recycling-landfill-garbage

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The relationship between consumerism and waste extends beyond simple purchasing habits. It is deeply embedded in economic systems, cultural values, and societal norms. To truly understand the impact of consumerism on waste, we must examine its underlying drivers and consider its broader implications. The Economics of Consumerism and Waste Consumerism is often viewed as essential for economic growth. The idea is that increased consumption drives production, creates jobs, and boosts overall prosperity. However, this model often fails to account for the environmental costs associated with waste generation. The externalities, such as pollution and resource depletion, are often not factored into the price of goods and services, leading to market failures.

 The circular economy......model, which prioritizes resource efficiency and waste reduction, offers an alternative to the linear “take-make-dispose” model of consumerism. This model emphasizes product durability, repairability, and recyclability, reducing the demand for new resources and minimizing waste generation. 

Cultural Influences on Consumption.....Cultural values and social norms play a significant role in shaping consumer behavior. Advertising, media, and peer pressure often promote materialistic lifestyles and encourage excessive consumption. The desire to keep up with the latest trends and acquire status symbols drives a cycle of buying and discarding, contributing to waste generation.Shifting cultural values towards sustainability and minimalism can help to reduce the pressure to consume excessively. Promoting conscious consumerism, where individuals make informed purchasing decisions based on environmental and social considerations, can also contribute to waste reduction. 
The Role of Corporate Responsibility.....Corporations have a significant responsibility to address the waste generated by their products and operations. This includes designing products for durability and recyclability, reducing packaging waste, and implementing closed-loop production systems. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, which hold producers accountable for the end-of-life management of their products, can incentivize companies to reduce waste and promote sustainable practices.Transparency and accountability are crucial for ensuring corporate responsibility. Companies should be transparent about their environmental impact and provide consumers with information about the sustainability of their products. Independent audits and certifications can help to verify corporate claims and build consumer trust.  

The Impact of Fast Fashion on Textile Waste......Fast fashion, characterized by rapidly changing trends and low prices, has a particularly detrimental impact on textile waste. The industry relies on cheap labor and synthetic materials, producing large quantities of clothing that are quickly discarded. This creates a massive waste stream, with tons of textiles ending up in landfills each year. Sustainable fashion practices, such as using organic and recycled materials, designing for durability, and promoting clothing rental and resale, can help to reduce textile waste and mitigate the environmental impact of the fashion industry.  

The Challenge of E-Waste Management......Electronic waste (e-waste) poses a unique set of challenges due to the presence of hazardous materials and the complexity of recycling processes. Improper e-waste disposal can lead to environmental contamination and health risks. Formal e-waste recycling systems are essential for safely recovering valuable materials and preventing pollution. Consumers can contribute to responsible e-waste management by properly disposing of their old electronics through certified recycling programs. Supporting policies that promote e-waste collection and recycling can also help to address this growing problem. Addressing the challenges of e-waste management requires formal recycling systems, consumer awareness, and supportive policies.

The Food Waste Crisis......Food waste is a global problem with significant environmental, economic, and social consequences. A large portion of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted along the supply chain, from farm to table. This waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion, and food insecurity.......read on     https://pollution.sustainability-directory.com/question/what-impact-does-consumerism-have-on-waste/ 

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Consumerism and the climate crisis threaten an equitable future for humanity, report says. The Earth Commission says hope lies in sustainable lifestyles, a radical transformation of global politics and fair distribution of resources. Guardian Jonathan Watts 17 Sept 2024 All of humanity could share a prosperous, equitable future but the space for development is rapidly shrinking under pressure from a wealthy minority of ultra-consumers, a groundbreaking study has shown. Growing environmental degradation and climate instability have pushed the Earth beyond a series of safe planetary boundaries, say the authors from the Earth Commission, but it still remains possible to carve out a “safe and just space” that would enable everyone to thrive. That utopian outcome would depend on a radical transformation of global politics, economics and society to ensure a fairer distribution of resources, a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels and the widespread adoption of low-carbon, sustainable technologies and lifestyles, it said.

This would probably mean that limits have to be placed on excess consumption and that taxes have to be used to address inequality and raise revenue for investment in technology and infrastructure. The scale of the required change will alarm many governments, acknowledged one of the lead authors. “It won’t be immediately welcomed. To some extent, it is frightening, but it shows that there is still a space for people and other species,” said Joyeeta Gupta, a former co-chair of the Earth Commission and a professor of environment and development in the global south at the University of Amsterdam. The paper is a 62-page “thought experiment” by an international team of 65 natural and social scientists that seeks to map out how the world’s 7.9 billion people could remain within safe planetary boundaries while accessing necessary levels of food, water, energy, shelter and transport. It then projects how this may change by 2050, when the population is likely to be 9.7 billion people.

Published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal on Wednesday, the paper first sets a justice “floor” of basic daily living standards – defined as 2,500 calories of food, 100 litres of water, and 0.7kWh of electricity, along with a living area of 15 sq metres and annual transportation of 4,500km (2,800 miles). Then they calculated how much space there was between this and a safety “ceiling” – which was defined by planetary boundaries – that estimated how much humanity can push the climate, ecosystems, nutrients and phosphorus and water sources without destabilising the Earth’s systems. The scale of the required change will alarm many governments, acknowledged one of the lead authors. “It won’t be immediately welcomed. To some extent, it is frightening, but it shows that there is still a space for people and other species,” said Joyeeta Gupta, a former co-chair of the Earth Commission and a professor of environment and development in the global south at the University of Amsterdam.The paper is a 62-page “thought experiment” by an international team of 65 natural and social scientists that seeks to map out how the world’s 7.9 billion people could remain within safe planetary boundaries while accessing necessary levels of food, water, energy, shelter and transport. It then projects how this may change by 2050, when the population is likely to be 9.7 billion people.

 The results showed that under the current highly unequal, fossil-fuel intensive social and environmental conditions, it is now impossible for all humans to live healthy lives within this “safe and just corridor”. That is underscored by previous studies that show that seven of the eight planetary boundaries have already been breached. The poor are disproportionately affected. The paper identifies the locations around the world where populations are most vulnerable to harm from climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, pollution and water shortages.....read on     https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/12/consumerism-and-the-climate-crisis-threaten-equitable-future-for-humanity-report-says

More Articles …

  1.  Is Hyper Consumerism Destroying The Planet? 12 Examples From Daily Life
  2. How Does Consumerism Affect Waste Generation? 
  3.  From Curbing Consumerism to Caring for Others, Ramadan has Lessons for us All
  4. Is Hyper Consumerism Destroying The Planet? 12 Examples From Daily Life

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