Reducing Overconsumption in the Age of Consumerism
We're buying more than ever, but at what cost? Overconsumption has caused over-extraction of resources and excessive amounts of waste. This, in turn has caused mass environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and pollution.
The average Nova Scotian disposes of 400 kg of waste per year, a figure that has increased by over 20% in the last five years. Across Canada, solid waste landfills now account for roughly 23% of the country’s methane emissions, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. These numbers highlight a clear truth: better waste management is essential, and it begins long before our trash reaches the curb. It’s not just about recycling or reuse—it’s about preventing waste at the source by making more mindful choices as consumers and resisting the pull of overconsumption.
Consumerism has evolved from fulfilling basic needs to generating artificial desires. Overconsumption has caused over-extraction of resources and excessive amounts of waste. This, in turn, has caused mass environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and pollution. Furthermore, our current rates of consumption exceed what the planet can sustainably offer. According to the Global Footprint Network, our current global consumption rate is outpacing nature’s ability to regenerate by 1.7 times.
Closer to home in Canada, our consumption is outpacing nature’s regenerative capacity by 5 times. In order to reassess our relentless pursuit of growth, we need to understand the drivers that are causing over-consumption.
In the student thesis, “The Abyss of Abundance: Consumer Overconsumption and the Road to Environmental Collapse,” the author, Emma Vega (Fordham University), discusses themes relating to human behaviour and overconsumption, which are summarized below.
Psychology and Consumer Behaviour
Feelings of insecurity are one of the leading causes of consumer overconsumption. When an individual is at odds with their identity, they may attempt to boost their self-esteem through the purchase of goods.
You may have heard the phrase before, “money can’t buy you happiness,” yet many individuals in developed nations still correlate the accumulation of goods with overall happiness. However, research has shown that those who prioritize the possession of material goods are often more unhappy and have lower life satisfaction. Furthermore, overconsumption can lead to poor mental health and is linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression.
It is not only a materialistic mindset that can lead to increased rates of poor mental health, but also the overwhelming abundance of choices combined with the pressure to keep up with trends. This pressure can lead to feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, which again perpetuates the cycle of consumption.
Social Media and Marketing
The internet and social media have made it easier than ever before to buy consumer items. This has caused a surge in overall consumption. An influx of platforms, forums, and influencers have increased promotion and visibility of many companies’ products.
Increased social media use increases the possibility that the user will make impulsive and emotionally driven purchases. More time spent engaging with social media causes users to become more susceptible to persuasive advertisements. Users are therefore more likely to fall victim to social comparison, increasing their own insecurities, and increasing the likelihood of purchasing material goods to compensate for the insecurity.
Through the internet and social media, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements. Marketing has become increasingly sophisticated through data collection and targeting consumers through algorithms. Traditionally, marketing focused on understanding consumer needs and creating products to fulfill those needs. However, marketing has increasingly evolved to utilize a concept known as “artificial need,” which aims to create desire for a product regardless of if a need is present. The fabrication of artificial needs in conjunction with the constant need to update existing products can lead to consumers feeling like mice trapped on a running wheel.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Certainly, governments have a role to play in creating policies that promote the sustainable development of goods as well as a circular economy. But what about us: the individual citizen? How do we break free from a consumer-based society that actively promotes overconsumption?
Awareness of the system that we live in is the first step. By understanding how we react to stimuli and how our insecurities are exploited, we can recognize why we might purchase a particular product. Perhaps this will allow us to think twice before doing so. Asking ourselves why we are buying something can help us determine if we are buying something because we ‘need’ it or ‘want’ it. There is nothing wrong with buying something you want every so often. These items can bring us joy, allow for self-expression, and can provide functionality. However, taking a step to assess how a particular product will benefit you, and for how long you will receive this benefit can help you determine if the item is of enough value to make it worth the cost. This can help diminish some of the impulsive and emotionally based purchases we are all prone to making.
Tips to Fight Consumerism
- When buying gifts, choose experiences over material items.
- Choose quality over quantity.
- Prioritize quality time and connection with loved ones and nature.
- Join a club. Many are free!
- Volunteer with a community group you are interested in.
- Transform an item you already own into something new or refreshed.
- Shop second-hand before buying something new.
- Borrow or rent items you don’t use often. Your local library rents more than just books and movies!
- Create a challenge: Commit to only buying essential items for a certain time period.
- Practice gratitude: This can remind us of what we have and not what we don’t.
- Repair or mend broken items.
- Choose timeless styles over trends.
- Implement a waiting period for non-essential items.
- Use the products you already have before purchasing new ones.
- Opt for reusable products over disposable.
- Avoid saving credit card details to make it more work to make online purchases.
As consumers, we have the power to shift the economy with our purchasing power. As a collective, if we begin to place lower value on material goods and materialism, we can promote the shift our economy needs to further strive towards sustainability.
References
Global Footprint Network (2022) How Many Earths? How Many Countries? How many Earths? How many countries? - Earth Overshoot Day
https://novascotia.ca/circular-economy-and-waste-engagement/docs/discussion-paper-encouraging-circular-economy-en.pdf
Vega, E. (2024), The Abyss of Abundance: Consumer Overconsumption and the Road to Environmental Collapse. *The Abyss of Abundance: Consumer Overconsumption and the Road to Environmental Collapse
