SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION: WHAT IS IT FOR, IMPORTANCE, ACTIONS, EXAMPLES - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The sustainable consumption or sustainable is consistent with the environment, focusing on what is really needed and reducing waste generated. For consumption to be sustainable, it requires taking into account the origin of what is consumed and its production process.

This type of consumption was raised in 1992, at the United Nations Summit on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. This is a fundamental element to achieve sustainable development as a way to achieve environmental conditions conducive to life.

Pillars of sustainable development. Source: Johann Dréo (User: Nojhan) / Translator: User: HUB1 Sustainable development is based on three pillars (economic, social and ecological) that must be in balance. This can be affected by consumption and therefore it is essential that it is equally sustainable.

Without sustainable consumption, the current pressure that the consumer model exerts on the planet is unsustainable. Consumerism implies waste of raw materials, the extraction of which is a negative pressure for ecological and social imbalance.

Therefore, sustainable consumption actions are necessary, such as consumer education and adequate information about each product or service. Likewise, develop consumption habits that range from the acquisition of the product, its reuse, recycling or proper disposal of the waste it generates.

Today consumption is not sustainable, with an acute imbalance where 12% of the population makes 60% of world consumption. However, there are more and more examples of sustainable consumption.

What is sustainable consumption for and why is it important?

We live in consumer societies and the system works on the basis of promoting the growing consumption of products and services. It works with planned and induced obsolescence, encouraging the discard of products and parts that are still useful.

This development model is unsustainable, because it is subjecting the planet to a pressure of demand for resources that generates deep ecological imbalances.

The engine of this system is growing consumption and, by making it sustainable, it seeks to rationalize its operation. For this, sustainable consumption introduces ecological and social rationality in balance with the economy.

Saving raw materials

Sustainable consumption implies a reduction in superfluous consumption, as well as extending the useful life of the product consumed. This results in a lower demand throughout the production chain that ends up leading to less extraction of raw materials.

Therefore, the environmental impact associated with the different extractivist processes or the production of raw materials is reduced. Likewise, sustainable consumption prioritizes products whose production process has low environmental and social impact, favoring balance in development.

Within sustainable consumption, preference is given to products made with renewable raw materials to promote the saving of these natural resources. This includes even the energy sources that are used in the process that produces, distributes and makes the product available.

Social balance

The conception of sustainable consumption implies considering the social conditions of production of what is consumed. Those products whose elaboration is based on the exploitation of child labor, inadequate payment of the worker or inadequate working conditions, must be rejected.

Pressure mechanism

This is a valuable social pressure tool to shape a sustainable development path. Companies work to satisfy demand, if it is sustainable, it encourages sustainable production and trade.

Quality of life

Sustainable consumption is governed by achieving a balance with the environment of which we ourselves are part. In this sense, the principles of this type of consumption lead to prioritizing healthier and less polluting products and services.

Actions for sustainable consumption

The main action to be carried out to achieve sustainable consumption is consumer education and their timely, accurate and adequate information. If the consumer is not aware of the implications of the act of consuming a certain product or service, he cannot carry out sustainable consumption.

Stores with products for sustainable consumption. Source: Diario de Madrid In addition, the consumer must have adequate training to know how to interpret the information and act accordingly. From here on, an infinity of actions that encompass all our daily work are given off.

- Rational use of drinking water

The deficit of drinking water is one of the most serious problems facing humanity, hence the fundamentals of its sustainable use. It is not only about the problem that its waste represents itself, but about all the energy expenditure that implies having it for consumption.

Actions such as turning off the tap while not using the water when brushing teeth or taking shorter showers, make a great contribution.

Soaps and detergents

It is not enough to save water to make a sustainable consumption, it is necessary to take care of what is added to it and it can be polluting. In such a way that sustainable consumption also implies the use of hygiene products with low environmental impact.

Some of the most problematic pollutants in water bodies are soaps and detergents, since they break the surface tension of biological membranes. For this reason, it is necessary to make a rational use of them.

- Rational use of electricity

The generation of electricity involves large costs of energy and materials, which in most cases are derived from fossil fuels. This implies a polluting load in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants to air, water and soil.

A sustainable consumption of electricity is essential, using it only for what is really necessary. Leaving lights on when they do not play an essential role, excessive Christmas lighting and advertisements are examples of unsustainable electricity consumption.

- Use of food

In so-called developed societies the proportion of foodstuffs that is wasted is quite high. This is not only an ethical problem on a planet with large hungry human populations, it also involves waste of raw materials, energy, and environmental pollution.

- Transport and consumption of fossil fuels

One of the most polluting human activities is the transport of people and goods, due to the use of fossil fuels in the process. In this sense, one of the sustainable consumption actions with the greatest positive impact is the reduction of the use of these fuels.

Sustainable transport. Source: No machine-readable author provided. 1997 assumed (based on copyright claims). In transport, this implies less use of the private car and prioritizing the use of public transport. For this, an efficient public transport system is required and preferably based on renewable energy or less polluting such as electricity.

- The consumption of clothing, footwear and accessories

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting, due to its high consumption rate based on induced obsolescence. People throw away useful pieces of clothing because they are out of style and buy new ones.

Dress made with recycled materials. Source: Ryan Jude Novelline At the same time that the production of these new clothing pieces implies serious environmental impacts from the very production of the fiber. In the cultivation of cotton, a large amount of agrochemicals are used that are highly polluting of water bodies.

While synthetic fibers are derived from petroleum, with all that this implies in environmental pollution. That is why breaking with the dictates of fashion, making a sustainable consumption of clothing contributes to a healthier environment.

- Consumption and biodiversity

The irrational consumption of merchandise has a negative impact on biodiversity, by promoting pollution and even directly the disappearance of species. A consumer aware of the origin of the product and the implications of its consumption contributes decisively to the conservation of biodiversity.

Endangered animals and plants

A decisive sustainable consumption action is to avoid consuming products derived from animals and plants threatened with extinction.

Alteration of ecosystems

Likewise, a conscious and informed consumer avoids consuming products or services from companies that cause negative impacts on fragile ecosystems.

- The 3 Rs

The actions derived from the principle of the 3 Rs, reduce, reuse and recycle, must be present in sustainable consumption. Reducing waste in the consumption process is an important part of efficient use of raw materials.

Likewise, reuse objects that have already passed a cycle of consumption, helping to reduce the pressure on natural resources. And finally, recycling materials or components derived from consumed products also implies a lower demand for virgin raw materials.

In this sense, the establishment of waste classification systems and the role of the final consumer such systems play an important role.

- Consider the production conditions

A relevant part of sustainable development and therefore sustainable consumption, is to maintain social, ecological and economic balance. Sustainable consumption must take into account the production conditions of what you consume.

In social work

The responsible consumer in favor of sustainable consumption, avoids products or services that imply undesirable working conditions in their production process. Inadequate working conditions produce poverty and social imbalances, which in turn impact with uncontrolled pressure on the environment.

- Overcome planned and induced obsolescence

Consumerism is the central threat against sustainable development, so a more rational consumption helps to neutralize it. Among the drivers of consumerism are planned and induced obsolescence, as ways to drive the substitution of still useful products.

According to studies carried out, 99% of the merchandise consumed in the United States becomes garbage in just 6 months. Sustainable consumption involves replacing a product only once it has really reached its useful life, not due to fashion demands.

Mobile phones and electronic equipment in general

A relevant example is the current consumption of mobile phones and electronic equipment in general. Currently, the number of mobile phones in developed countries is equal to or greater than the population that inhabits them.

Mobile phone recycling. Source: MikroLogika On the other hand, these devices are replaced by new models maximum every two years. This is unsustainable behavior, since a large amount of electronic waste is generated.

In addition, the construction of new appliances requires a large amount of non-renewable resources. It is necessary to break with the obsolescence planned by the industry and that the consumer does not generate the obsolescence induced by advertising.

Examples of sustainable consumption

Electric transportation

A good example of sustainable consumption is the use of public transport powered by electricity. Electric buses operate in cities such as Beijing (China), Santiago de Chile, Medellín (Colombia) and others.

This form of transportation substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality.

Shopping bag

Plastic represents the paradigm of antiecological waste, being non-biodegradable, being plastic shopping bags one of the biggest problems. Sustainable consumption should be oriented towards the use of alternatives such as cloth bags, boxes, baskets or other reusable containers.

Sustainable shopping bag. Source: Tawbabolve [CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) A worldwide trend has been developing to impose a tax on the use of plastic bags in order to reduce their use. This initiative has already been implemented in more than 170 countries, contributing substantially to reducing the consumption of this type of bags.

Gray water recycling systems

Gray water is the wastewater from washing clothes, household goods and the shower. They do not have a high organic load and can be recycled for various uses such as irrigation or flushing the toilet.

Today there are various cases of the implementation of gray water recycling systems in urban complexes. An example is the Finca La Escondida in Mendoza (Argentina), where, through a double pipe system, they process black and gray water separately.

In this way they recycle greywater for irrigation and toilet drainage. This is combined with the use of solar-based lighting and biodigesters for the generation of methane gas.

Consumption of organic agriculture products

In recent decades, the demand for agricultural products from organic agriculture has grown. This agricultural practice consists of cultivating using only fertilizers and forms of natural pest control, without the use of agrochemicals.

References

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