HOW DOES CONSUMERISM AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT? - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The it affects consumption to the environment negatively in various ways, such as by generating waste. On the other hand, obtaining raw materials to manufacture many of the products consumed causes a great environmental impact.

Consuming something implies spending it and eventually ending it and what is spent must be replaced in some way. In this sense, when replacing a good, the materials and energy necessary to produce what was consumed again are required.

Food consumerism. Source: Original: lyzadangerDerivative work: Diliff

Not all forms of consumption in human societies have a negative environmental effect. For example, forms of subsistence consumption or those based on rational and sustainable consumption cause minimal impacts.

However, when consumption becomes an end in itself, it becomes consumerism. The latter can be defined as the exaggerated consumption of products and services without there being a real need.

Consumerism produces a consumption spiral that demands greater production of goods, which implies a greater consumption of raw materials and energy. In this way, a cycle of matter and energy extraction, transformation, distribution and commercialization of goods and services that affect the environment is promoted.

In each of the phases of this cycle, waste is produced that goes into the environment or the structure of natural ecosystems is altered. Among other effects, we can mention those produced by intensive agriculture, and the fashion, automotive and electronics industries.

If the exponential increase in exacerbated consumerism continues, environmental deterioration will deepen with serious consequences for life on the planet.

Consumption process

Electronic consumerism. Source: Thomas Springer

To consume is to spend something totally or partially. All human societies consume different goods and services. These include food, drinks, clothing, or implements that meet different needs.

-Subsistence consumption

There are indigenous tribal societies in places like the Amazon that carry out subsistence consumption in relative balance with their environment. This type of consumption generates a minimal impact on the environment, since it only extracts and produces what is necessary to survive.

Similarly, many peasant communities carry out traditional agriculture that has a low environmental impact. This is due to the fact that they grow small areas and with a low use of agrochemicals.

-Sustainable consumption

This approach is linked to the concept of sustainable development, which promotes consumption based on meeting basic needs. It is about ensuring a good quality of life and minimizing the impact on the environment.

-Consumer society

Modern society has converted consumption from a means to an end in itself, and the current economic system encourages consumerism. This model requires an exponential production of goods and services for its operation, exceeding the fundamental needs.

-Consumerism

Banner about consumerism. Source: No machine-readable author provided. Antiedipo assumed (based on copyright claims).

Consumerism is the tendency to consume beyond what is rationally necessary, being a distortion of consumption. The system employs various strategies to drive consumerism such as planned obsolescence, perceived obsolescence, advertising, and marketing.

In planned obsolescence, objects with a specifically short useful life are designed to force rapid replacement. While in the perceived obsolescence it is induced to think that the object must be replaced, even though it is still functional.

All these strategies of exaggerated stimulation of consumption lead to a greater production of waste. These wastes end up accumulating in different ways and cause a strong environmental impact.

-From production to consumption

Demand

Thanks to improvements in production, distribution and marketing in medicine, health and food, humanity has increased its population growth rate. This has resulted in a greater demand for goods and services and therefore greater consumption.

Thus, a growing population requires more food, clothing, housing and goods in general, which produce an increasing environmental impact.

Production, distribution and marketing

What is consumed must be replaced, so a greater use of raw materials and energy is required. Obtaining these resources implies an intervention to the environment.

According to the International Resource Panel, the amount of raw materials extracted from the planet tripled between 1970 and 2010. During 2010, the 70,000 million tons demanded mainly by rich countries were reached.

Likewise, the distribution and commercialization of products represents an additional source of environmental alteration. Among others, the transport of goods and the movement of consumers produces a large emission of polluting gases.

Waste

The production transformation processes entail the generation of waste, which causes an environmental impact. Furthermore, consumption leads to the production of waste that is derived into the environment.

On the other hand, in the process of transformation of raw materials a large amount of waste is produced. It is estimated that around 2 billion tons of waste are produced annually in this process in the world.

Effects of consumerism on the environment

-Impact of food consumption

farming

The demands of food consumption for a growing population when finite farmland is available, forces the development of intensive agriculture. This type of agriculture requires the use of a large amount of inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, fuels and machinery.

One of the biggest sources of environmental pollution is the residues of fertilizers and agrochemicals. They are drawn into underground and surface water bodies and cause pollution.

Cattle raising

Large-scale livestock farming to meet the growing demand for meat, especially for fast food transnationals, is another source of contamination. The effluents from the production systems carry a large amount of organic matter, detergents and other compounds.

Likewise, another polluting factor in livestock farming is the generation of methane gas, which is one of the so-called greenhouse gases. It has been determined that the world's herds generate around 115 million tons of methane gas per year.

One of the main causes of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is the expansion of land for cattle ranching and the cultivation of soybeans.

Marine fishing and hunting

The consumption of fish and other seafood products increases year after year, which promotes an increase in industrial fishing. The use of certain fishing techniques is particularly harmful to marine life, such as trawling.

This type of fishing extracts all kinds of marine species, regardless of whether they are commercial or not. More than 90 million tons of capture fisheries are consumed annually, so the reserves of this resource are being depleted.

According to the FAO, 17% of the controlled species are already in a phase of overexploitation. A special case is whaling by Japan, where this practice is considered part of its cultural heritage.

Even though the consumption of whale meat has decreased from 200,000 tons in 1960 to 5,000 tons in 2019, hunting continues thanks to government subsidies.

-Impact of the consumption of clothing and accessories

Consumerism in fashion. Source: Peter Duhon from New York City, USA

The fashion industry is one of the paradigms of consumerism. Clothes, footwear and accessories are being replaced at accelerated rates without there being a functional need for it.

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), consumers buy more clothing each year. However, each product keeps half the time and even about 40% are never used.

This consumption pattern generates large amounts of waste that end up in landfills on the planet. In addition, the UN indicates that the fashion industry is the second largest consumer of water in the world and produces 20% of wastewater.

Cotton production

The textile industry that produces the goods that feed fashion is one of the most polluting that exists. Cotton is the natural fiber most consumed by this industry and is highly demanding in agrochemicals.

It is estimated that cotton production worldwide uses a quarter of all the insecticides consumed on the planet.

Fiber processing

The processing of fibers in the textile industry generates effluents that are highly polluting. The toxic substances used in dyeing, printing and finishing reach waterways without treatment.

On the other hand, when synthetic fibers are produced, about 500,000 Tn3 of plastic microfibers are thrown away during washing. Most of these microfibers end up in the oceans and 85% of the textiles are incinerated or landfilled.

-Impact of vehicle consumption

Waste from the automobile industry. Source: TUBS

Modern society fundamentally travels in motor vehicles that, beyond their functionality, are a status symbol. So the number of vehicles circulating on the planet is constantly growing.

Production and disposal

The production of a vehicle consumes enormous amounts of raw materials and energy. In addition, the average replacement rate for a private car in countries with high and medium purchasing power is every 4 or 5 years.

There are currently more than 1 billion cars in the world and this number is growing every year. Likewise, the three main producers (China, USA and Japan) manufacture more than 50 million units annually.

On the other hand, discarded vehicles end up in junkyards or scrap yards in a relatively short time.

Functioning

The greatest negative impact on the environment caused by cars comes from their operation based on a gasoline or diesel engine. The burning of these fuels is one of the main causes of greenhouse gas emissions and other toxic compounds.

The main compound emitted is CO2, but heavy metals are also released into the environment. In this way, in one year the operation of cars worldwide produces 1,730,000 Tons of CO2.

Other dangerous compounds produced in the combustion of diesel or gasoline are nitrogen oxides (NOx), precursors of acid rain.

-Impact of household appliances consumption

In the permanent search to make life more comfortable, the human being has invented all kinds of artifacts. Periodically these devices must be repaired or replaced and generate a large amount of waste.

According to a UN report, in 2018 alone around 50 million tons of electrical appliances were disposed of in the world. Furthermore, of all the electrical appliances produced only 20% are recycled.

-Impact of information consumption

Agbogbloshie technology dump (Ghana). Source: Marlenenapoli

The transmission of information in modern society is carried out by different electronic devices of massive use. Among these, the one that is most widely used is the cell phone or mobile phone.

The consumption of mobile phones is growing due to higher demand and the high replacement rate, particularly in developed countries. Programs and applications change, they become more demanding in terms of memory and require the purchase of a new device.

In this sense, in the US alone during 2008 9 million mobile phones were discarded.

-Impact of energy consumption

Modern society moves on the basis of the consumption of fossil fuels, generating a strong environmental impact. The consumption of other energy sources such as nuclear, can also cause serious damage to the environment.

The phenomenon of global warming is caused by the accumulation of so-called greenhouse gases. Among these the most important is CO2, which is generated in a greater proportion by the burning of coal, oil and their derivatives.

In addition, the extraction of oil to supply consumption entails serious environmental problems from its extraction to its transport.

-Impact of plastics consumption

Accumulation of plastics on a beach in Tanzania. Source: Loranchet

Most of the plastic is produced from petroleum, which is a non-biodegradable material. Today it is used in countless types of objects from toys, to cars, spaceships.

However, its greatest consumption is as a container for food and beverages, which are quickly discarded. These wastes are long-lasting and can remain polluting the environment for hundreds of years.

Currently, more than 270 million tons of plastic are consumed annually and practically all of it is turned into waste. For 2010, the amount of plastic deposited on the planet's coasts was estimated at almost 100 million tons.

Much of this plastic pollutes the oceans and forms large islands such as those detected in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic.

-Impact of mineral consumption

The consumption of minerals for production has been a source of serious environmental impacts throughout history. Because they are underground it is not possible to obtain these minerals are they drastically alter the environment.

For its extraction, the vegetation cover is removed and the soil is altered, and a large amount of highly polluting solid and liquid waste is also produced.

Gold mining

One of the clearest examples of mining damage is open-pit gold mining. The annual production of gold worldwide is more than 3,000 tons, so it is estimated that its reserves will soon be depleted.

In gold mines, the topsoil is completely removed over large areas, the soil is undermined and the material is pulverized. In addition, highly toxic chemicals such as mercury and arsenic are used to separate the mineral.

Mercury pollution worldwide has reached alarming levels and in many cases is associated with mining activity.

-Impact associated with the promotion of consumption

Advertising has become a great industry, whose foundation is to promote consumption. In this sense, sophisticated psychological tools are used that lead to the production of induced needs.

To achieve this, a large amount of material and energy resources are used that imply an environmental impact.

References

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