We all need to consume different products in our daily routine, but some lifestyles are more ecological and sustainable than others. Choosing carefully what we buy and use can have a positive impact on the environment.

Unfortunately, natural resources on Earth are not sufficient to meet the needs of the global population, and every year we end up using more resources than are naturally produced. This means we have to use non-renewable resources, resulting in negative climate impacts. This phenomenon is called “Earth Overshoot,” and it is estimated that we would need 1.7 Earths to source all resources sustainably.

Solutions to this problem are multiple and complex, but one of them is to promote “Sustainable Consumption.”

Sustainable consumption is a way for everyone to be more aware and make a difference in our daily lives. It doesn’t mean stopping consumption but doing it more ethically, minimizing the use of natural resources, waste, and pollution. This can be achieved by being more mindful of the products we buy and use, allowing consumers to make more ecological choices.

Consumer:

Everyone in the world is a consumer when buying or using products of any kind. Since everyone is a consumer, even small changes in collective behavior can have a greater impact on the world than we can imagine. Simple actions such as carrying a reusable bag, refusing to use plastic straws, recycling plastic bottles, and choosing ethical products are good ways to contribute every day.

Sustainable consumerism may take different forms, but it’s important to understand that we all have the power to influence positive change by choosing to spend our money on products with minimal ecological impact.

Product:
A product can be either something physical (like clothes, food, technological devices, etc.) or services provided to someone (like attending concerts, signing contracts with electricity providers, using AI, etc.). All of these may have a greater or lesser ecological impact, depending on how they are produced, delivered, and the waste and pollution they generate as a consequence.

Waste:
Around one-third of all the food produced on the planet is thrown away, and we pollute drinkable water reserves faster than nature can purify them. Sustainable consumption includes not buying more food than necessary, not wasting water, and choosing products that minimize waste in how they are produced, transported, and packaged.

Way of production:
The same product can be made using different methods, and not all of them have the same ethics or environmental impact—some are more sustainable than others.
Coffee beans are an excellent example: they can be sourced by companies that don’t pay appropriate wages to workers and use methods that cause deforestation and soil erosion, or they can be farmed by companies with quality labels certifying that they provide fair prices to farmers and use sustainable agricultural practices.
Supporting sustainable consumerism means choosing the ethical option when possible and questioning the production methods when unclear.
The list is long, but some other examples include buying clothes from companies that use ecological materials, choosing electricity providers that use renewable energy instead of fossil fuels, and selecting food from ethical agricultural practices that don’t cause desertification or use polluting pesticides.

Transport method:
We are all used to buying products made on the other side of the planet, but we should understand that this is not a sustainable practice and should be minimized when possible.
Each product has a journey before it reaches us, involving different steps aboard trucks, cargo ships, trains, and more. Longer journeys mean more pollution and less sustainability.
Choosing “Km Zero” products can help significantly reduce the carbon footprint, and when it comes to food, it is often a healthier option as these products have fewer preservatives, are less processed, and often have higher nutritional value.
Similarly, sustainable consumerism can mean preferring a local show (theater, sports event, concert, etc.) featuring local artists instead of an international one, which often requires a lot of flights. Of course, sometimes traveling long distances is necessary, but a positive decision could be using a green transportation method.

Packaging:
Choosing products that are package-free or use little to no plastic in their packaging is also helpful. It reduces the amount of plastic waste and is often an indicator of a short-distance journey. Products sourced in one country, packaged in another, and sold in a third should be specifically avoided. More products nowadays have labels displaying this information, helping consumers make more sustainable choices.

Adopting sustainable consumerism may be challenging at first, but it should be seen as a process that becomes more natural with time and practice. It’s a collective effort to promote a green society, with visible positive outcomes for our environment.

By lithuanian ecommunity activators team