Sustainable consumption

Sustainable consumption is the practice of preserving the environment from the damage caused by unrestricted production and use. While production and consumption are necessary parts of a capitalist economy, overconsumption damages the environment. It pushes renewable resources beyond the levels of harvesting that they can sustain and speeds the use of non-renewable resources.

For this reason, experts urge companies and consumers to follow three principles of sustainability: (1) the harvest of renewable resources should not exceed their rate of regeneration; (2) the waste generated by projects should not exceed the capacity of the local environment; (3) as non-renewable resources are used, renewable resources should be developed to replace them.

Background

The idea of sustainable consumption has existed throughout most of human history. Civilizations have always had to plan for the future, working to sustain resources to ensure that people would continue to have food, water, and other necessities in the future. The term “sustainable” was first used in 1713 by Carl von Carlowitz when he discussed forestry management. Carlowitz’s writings were influential and used to create policy throughout much of Europe. Carlowitz worried that companies and governments would use the forests before they could replenish. He advised governments to limit the amount of wood they harvested each year, ensuring that they would have wood suitable for shipbuilding in the future. By the nineteenth century, variants of sustainable forestry could be found in England, France, and America.

In some areas, a larger conflict developed between the public and the state. Some citizens and lawmakers believed that it was not the role of the government to enforce sustainability. They argued that if restrictions were lifted, the economy would push a region toward a natural balance, resulting in a wealthier society. However, others argued that such practices would not result in sustainable practices. Instead, they argued that merchants and industrial owners would prioritize short-term profits over long-term benefits, quickly using all the local resources. Many of these debates have continued into the modern era. For example, many large corporations seek to remove environmental laws and regulations, arguing that such policies reduce their profit margins. Advocates of sustainable consumption argue that such restrictions are necessary to ensure that irreparable damage is not inflicted on the environment.

Overview

Consumption is the process by which products are produced and used. It is an essential part of an economy and the way that people participate in capitalism. For example, automobile manufacturers create products for people to buy and use. To accomplish this, they must purchase and use raw materials from around the world. In this way, most industries both participate in consumption and produce products to consume. These interactions work to drive the economies of the world, giving people the means to earn money, which they can use to purchase goods and services.

The constant manufacturing of goods necessary to maintain economies requires a constant influx of resources. Some of the resources are renewable and can be gradually replaced. Trees, sunlight, and water are common examples of renewable resources. However, other resources, such as minerals and oil, are non-renewable. A finite amount of these resources exists on Earth, and once this amount is used, these resources cannot be replaced. For this reason, experts often advise against making non-renewable resources a staple of the economy. Even renewable resources may disappear if improperly managed. Many of the world’s countries have been engaged in a pattern of resources that experts believe is unsustainable.

Almost 70 percent of Earth’s ecosystems has degraded in the last fifty years. Much of this is due to unsustainable consumption. Industries pulling more resources from an environment than it can bear can cause irreparable damage. To combat this, governments have placed restrictions on the manner and scale in which resources may be harvested. These restrictions are designed to limit the damage resource harvesting inflicts upon an environment, preserving the environment for future generations.

Awareness campaigns conducted by governments and activist groups have made consumers more concerned about sustainable consumption than ever before. Consumers who are educated about sustainability are more likely to buy from "green companies" that engage in sustainable practices. This gives companies an additional incentive to respect and protect the environment. Consumers, too, are sometimes offered incentives to buy more sustainably. For example, consumers who purchased new electric vehicles have received tax credits. In 2024, the tax credit for purchasing a new, qualified plug-in EV or fuel cell electric vehicle (FCV) was $7,500.

Sustainability is commonly broken down into three different principles. The first principle, sustainable yield, states that renewable resources should never be harvested beyond their rate of regeneration. This ensures that renewable resources are retained for future generations. The second principle states that the waste generated from products should not exceed the capacity of the local environment. This limits the pollution generated by industrial processes. The third rule states that the use of non-renewable resources should never outpace the development of comparable renewable resources. This rule acknowledges the finite nature of non-renewable resources and encourages the development of their replacements as they’re used.

Some companies have embraced sustainability and taken measures to reduce their environmental impact. This means shipping products with less disposable packaging, reducing industrial waste, or developing more efficient means of production. It also might mean switching to renewable sources of energy during product development. Other businesses, such as mining and food production, have resisted increasing their sustainability.

In some cases, calculating the environmental impact of a particular type of consumption of a product is difficult. Businesses are not always the ones dealing with the waste or damage they create. For this reason, many environmental agencies track pollution, greenhouse gas expenditures, and other forms of environmental damage caused by production. They ensure that companies are following the laws that encourage sustainable consumption.

Bibliography

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