Planetary

Responsible Consumption and Production

The way in which we utilise resources to produce material products such as food, plastics and clothing, coupled with the way in which we use those products, is having a detrimental environmental impact on the planet. This is known as a ‘material footprint’ and is escalated by food wastage, consumer patterns and poor production processes.

12

We are running out of natural resources at an alarmingly rapid rate due to increased consumption and over-extraction, and the practices used to process those resources are causing pollution through waste chemicals as well as increased levels of carbon emissions. In order to protect the planet, methods must become more sustainable and we must be more mindful about our consumption.

According to the United Nations, if Earth’s population reaches 9.6 billion by 2050 we will require the resources of 3 planets to sustain current lifestyles. The current population (2020) is 7.8 billion.

1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year (1/3 of all food produced).

The food production industry alone causes approximately 22% of all greenhouse gas emissions, for example, by clearing forests for palm oil (a common ingredient in many food and household products) plantations and agriculture. For more information on the impact of greenhouse gas emissions please read our Planetary resources on ‘Climate Action.’

Only 3% of the planet’s water is drinkable, 2.5% of which is frozen. 1 billion people across the planet do not have access to clean, fresh water and the 0.5% we do have access to is being polluted more quickly than nature can replenish.

Agriculture is both the biggest user and chemical polluter of clean water, with the textile industry coming second due to coloured dyes —10,000 litres of water are used to make a single pair of jeans. Both food and clothing production are led by consumer demand.

Did you know?

The carbon footprint of the average plastic bag is 6kg CO2 per 1kg. We use 5 TRILLION bags annually worldwide, equating to approx. 165,000,000,000 kg in emissions.

Watch

What can YOU do to help?

Reduce...

consumption by only using or buying what is necessary. By taking care of what you already have you will need to replace items less often, or plan your food shop ahead of time by making a list of essentials.

Recycle

Find out what items you can recycle via your local council. You could also utilise Terracycle, a company that facilitates collection of items you cannot recycle at home, such as crisp packets, chocolate wrappers and batteries. Why not go one step further and set up your own collection point for an item without one in your area?

Reuse

Invest in a reusable bottles, coffee cups and bags, and be creative with how you can reuse other objects around the house. Freeze leftover food to reuse as a meal later.

Upcycle!

Buy clothes from second hand shops or try upcycling – Textiles West have some great ideas! If you must throw away, donate to charity shops or collection bins.

Limit your plastic use

Try alternatives such as bamboo cutlery and toothbrushes or metal straws. You could also learn how to make your own products and buy fresh food from local farmer’s markets to lessen packaging and the environmental impact of transportation.

Be aware of what you’re purchasing

A lot of products now display sustainability labels and you could avoid ingredients such as palm oil. Research eco-friendly companies and keep a list for shopping trips—Lush is a great high street example!

Install an app such as Too Good To Go

This revolutionary movement enables consumers to buy fresh food that would otherwise go to waste at the end of the day from shops and restaurants throughout Europe. So far app users have saved over 81,000 tonnes in CO2 emissions by reducing food wastage.

Watch

Young People in Action!

Melati & Isabel Wijsen

The Wijsen sisters, Melati and Isabel, live in Bali and attend an incredible school called ‘The Green School’. At the ages of 10 and 12 they decided that they did not want to wait to be adults to do something significant after being inspired by Nelson Mandela, Ghandi and Lady Diana… so in 2013 launched ‘Bye Bye Plastic Bags’, an incredibly successful campaign to ban plastic bags on their home island. Back in 2016 they campaigned for Bali airport to plan plastic bags, and as of 2018 their island of Bali is plastic bag free.

 

 

Useful Links

United Nations Link sustainabledevelopment.un.org
Visit
Terracycle Link terracycle.com
Visit
The Green School org greenschool.org
Visit
Bye Bye Plastic Bags org byebyeplasticbags.org
Visit
Lush Cosmetics com uk.lush.com
Visit
BBC Earth com bbcearth.com
Visit
Textiles West Link textileswest.org
Visit
The World's Largest Lesson org worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org
Visit
Too Good To Go Link toogoodtogo.org
Visit