[INFORMATIVE] Overconsumption and How To Stop

Overconsumption and How To Stop

By: Cora Clark

What is Overconsumption?
Overconsumption, according to the General Multilingual Environmental Thesaurus, is “the excessive consumption or use of goods and services that cause harm or detrimental effects to humans and/or the environment”.

Do I Overconsume?
The answer is, most likely, yes! We live in a world today where overconsumption is normal. Let me ask you this: How many pairs of shoes do you own? And how many do you use? What is the last thing you bought and did you need it, or was it just a waste of money? Every single time you go online do you get convinced to buy a new thing? Those haul videos you see on social media are quickly ruining the environment. When somebody tells you that you need this new product, do you go out and buy it? Think about this: you were living your life just fine before this product, so why would you need it? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the average person goes through over 4 pounds of waste a day! Most of that ends up in our landfills, where it inevitably destroys our environment.

How do I stop?
The good news is that underconsumption is easier than you think, you just need to stop buying! Start with a simple exercise over the next few weeks: keep track of what you use and what you don't. Do you notice that a lot of the items you have don’t get used? Now, instead of throwing all of this stuff away, donate it. If you have extra shoes or clothes, give it away to people in need. If you realise you don't use half of your makeup or skincare, give it to a family member! (Remember, if you just throw out the stuff you don't need instead of donating or using it, you are still wasting an even larger amount). Now that you only have the stuff you need and use, start to make more eco-friendly swaps. Look for less plastic packaging and more reusable and recyclable materials. Bonus points if the packaging is compostable! Make sure to think through more of your purchases to make sure that you need and will utilise that item. Upcycling clothes is also a very nice way to make things new again! Shopping in refillable/bulk stores also comes in handy to reduce the amount of waste you consume. For food packaging, look for aluminum, recyclable glass, and cardboard packaging. There are also places where you can recycle flimsy plastics these days, so make sure to check for places to recycle. My last piece of advice to you is thrifting/shopping second-hand. Not only is it cheaper, but it is also better for our environment instead of buying from fast fashion or buying brand new things. Thrifted items usually work just as well!

Overconsumption is a very easy task that most of us don’t even recognize we are doing. We must work together to stop pollution caused by overconsumption so that other generations get to see what a beautiful Earth we have. So let's lead a more sustainable future, because what is more important: a kitchen appliance that you are never going to use or the Earth?


Citations
“Overconsumption” General Multilingual Environmental Thesaurus, 6 December 2021,

https://www.eionet.europa.eu/gemet/en/concept/15382#:~:text=Definition,the%20planet%20and%20its%20ecosystems

“National Overview Facts and Figures on Materials, Waste and Recycling.” United States Environmental Protection Agency, 22 November 2023,https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials#:~:text=The%20Current%20National%20Picture,-EPA%20began%20collecting&text=The%20total%20generation%20of%20municipal,25%20million%20tons%20were%20composted.