by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist (read the original in Noozhawk by clicking here)
I was pregnant with my first child in 1981, the year Jo Robinson published “Unplug the Christmas Machine: How to Have the Christmas You’ve Always Wanted.” “Unplug” influenced how I crafted Christmas seasons to come, emphasizing service, family, and religious traditions rather than over-the-top gifts.
It didn’t hurt that I am NOT a shopper, and I appreciated the confluence of thrift and environmental awareness.
If we think of the environmental cost of consumerism, a significant chunk is the forward supply chain: accumulating and delivering a product from its raw materials to a customer’s hands. However, the reverse supply chain is much worse in terms of cost and inefficiency.
About a third of online purchases are returned, as are half of all clothing items ordered on the internet. Once returned, many products are discarded by the retailer rather than restocked.
An investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation found that many product returns cover several hundred or even thousands of miles before reaching their final destination. An unknown or untold percentage end up in landfills. Soon after this 2019 report was published, Amazon began helping sellers send returns to charity. It’s not clear whether the nascent program survived Covid.
It’s not news that our collective consumerism, from plastic straws to the fossil fuels to ship them, is taxing our earth beyond sustainability. Higher-income consumers use far more resources than the less well-off, even among those who are environmentally conscientious. Their purchases then influence shopping norms at large.
Efforts to build more sustainable products and processes have developed in parallel with out-sized consumerism. The “Buy Nothing” trend began on Facebook in 2013, but the pandemic gave it new life. Now there’s an app for it. The idea is to encourage micro-economies based on giving goods and services within small communities.
Prospective members must agree to give away an item with no strings attached or expectation of any reward other than the joy of giving. Connections are built among neighbors. The founders describe these connections as the true wealth of the economy. Buy Nothing also dovetails well with this season’s supply chain issues.
Renting versus buying is another solution that reduces the use of earth’s resources. It’s a good way for occasional-use items to be shared among consumers. Garden tools, bicycles, cars and homes are all shared more now than in the past. I’ve seen an app for that, too.
Can we be responsible citizens and still have the things we want? The key may be analyzing our needs and how best to fulfill them.
“People often assume they’re adopting a lower quality of life by owning and buying less,” said Daniel Fischer of Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability. “We need to flip this narrative around and emphasize how sustainability allows you to have a better quality of life. It’s not about renunciation, but choice.”
It’s also about recognizing our power as consumers to make intentional choices. We can consider how to fulfill our fundamental and fulfillment needs without compromising the needs of future generations. Consumer spending accounts for 70% of the economy, so our decisions have impact.
Not to be a Scrooge, but Santa may be a major part of the problem. His bag is full of consumer items. Rather than toys and blenders, he could bring experiential gifts like foot rubs and one-on-one time with family members and friends.
Of course, you might argue that Santa’s earth footprint is light. He’s flying a sleigh powered by reindeer, after all, and he’s combining his errands all on one night.
Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist
Karen Telleen-Lawton is an eco-writer, sharing information and insights about economics and ecology, finances and the environment. Having recently retired from financial planning and advising, she spends more time exploring the outdoors — and reading and writing about it. The opinions expressed are her own.