Why being a sustainable consumer is vital and accessible

Many believe individual action can’t make an impact, especially when it comes to our climate crisis. This statement is inaccurate. Decisions we make have rippling effects throughout our communities, and the world. The major impacts we’re having on our planet aren’t due to individuals, but rather societal norms.

This is why challenging those patterns is so imperative. There are many ways we as consumers can change our daily habits to help reduce negative impacts we have on our world. But if we continue to mindlessly go about our lives without consideration, we will see dramatic negative alterations in our lifetime. Take the natural disasters just in 2017: Hurricane Irma, Category 5, alone ripped through the Caribbean, leaving flattened landscapes, flash floods and loss of life. Unfortunately, those who are impacted most by climate change are often those who contribute the least to it. That is why those who have resources to do so need to be sustainable, conscious consumers.

In the Western world, we are fed the idea that the more stuff we have, the happier we’ll be. In order to be “happy” in this society, one needs to have the trendiest, newest item. Rather than contributing to the fast fashion industry, we must become aware of how harmful prescribing to this lifestyle is.

Consider that Greenpeace.org states, “Each year over 80 billion pieces of clothing are produced worldwide, and after its short lifespan, three out of four garments will end up in landfills or be incinerated.” A solution is thrift shopping. It’s modest, sustainable, and an inexpensive way to buy items. Doing this reduces consumers’ carbon footprints because fewer clothes will need to be produced if the demand for new ones drops . This is a change everyone can make, and negative impacts on the planet would be minimized.

Waste management is another area needing improvement. The percentage of U.S. families that recycle is 34.3 percent , according to the EPA, and fewer than 30 percent of families compost , according to the National Waste & Recycling Association. Composting and recycling waste is an easy extra step everyone should take. Starting a compost pile in your backyard is a sustainable way of getting rid of food scraps. This compost can then be used to fertilize a garden to grow, food, even more sustainable.

Mindfulness in how one disposes of electronic waste is another change we must make. E-waste almost always ends up in developing nations, typically the same place the product was produced, according to npr.org. This has significant negative health implications on people living in that country, and on the environment.

For those living paycheck to paycheck, barely making enough to get food on the table, this argument is not directed toward them, but for those who are economically stable enough to make the choice. Climate change is happening all around us, and we can no longer pretend it’s a future problem. The decisions we make as individuals are what define us, and if we all begin to make conscious sustainable choices, starting with how we consume, we will see positive repercussions. Morgan Heyl is a student at the University of Vermont.