CONSUMPTION
&
VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY
Source: elephantjournal.com
All of our “stuff” makes an impact
Emissions are produced…
Create
Use
Dispose
55% emissions related to consumption
Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector
Transportation
28%
Residential
17%
Commercial
17%
Agriculture
8%
Industry
30%
What do we mean by stuff?

Anything that is
produced, which you
purchase, use and then
dispose of.
 Forks
 Cars
 Clocks
 Clothes
 Etc.
 Appliances
 Food
 Books
 Magazines
 Lamps
 Pens
 Electronics
Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks
Associated with the Material Life Cycle
Creating stuff creates emissions





Where does it come from?
How is it produced?
What emissions are associated with producing this
item?
What emissions are associated with transporting
this?
What emissions are associated with the
sales/marketing of this?
Using some stuff causes emissions


Are emissions created when this is used?
Does it require a power source?
 Electronics
End of life emissions


What happens to it after you’re finish using it?
What is it made of?
 Does
it decompose?
 How many different materials are in it?
 Can they be
 Reused?
 Recycled?

Does it go to the landfill?
Waste produces emissions



Landfills produce methane
Harms wildlife
Requires space
Recycling reduces emissions


Saves energy inputs
Reduces the need to extract virgin material
 Recycling
1 ton of paper saves 2000lbs CO2
 Recycling steel and tin cans saves 60-74% of the
energy used to produce them from raw materials and
reduces associated air and water pollution by the same
percentages
 Oregon
saved 28 Trillion BTU by recycling in 2004
(2.5% state’s total energy use)
Recycling is Up in Oregon, But So is Waste Generation
Results – Energy (by process)
Total Solid Waste Disposed, Recovered & Generated
Pounds Per Person Per Day 1992 - 2005
8
7.2
7.5
Pounds Per Person Per Day
7
6.5
6
5.5
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
7.2
7.5
6.6
5.7
1.5
6.1
2.0
2.7
2.8
3.2
8.4
8.0
7.7
3.8
3.3
3.5
4.5
454.6
2004
2005
2.3
4.2
4.1
4.3
1992
1994
1996
Key
0.0
= Generated
4.5
4.4
4.3
4.3
1998
2000
2002
2003
= Recovered
Recovery + Disposal = Generation
= Disposed
Composting reduces emissions


Methane produced in landfills come primarily from
food and yard waste
Decomposition in compost is aerobic
 Produces

some CO2 (but has a much lower impact)
Decomposition in landfills is anaerobic
 Produces
Methane
Some materials



Paper
Metals
 Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy
needed to produce new aluminum
 Recycling steel and tin cans saves 74% of the
energy used to produce them
 About 70% of all metal used just once and is
discarded
Plastics
LANDFILL
95% of total energy used and pollution generated comes before can is even created!
The Life Cycle of a CD or DVD



Working in groups of two see if you can create a
lifecylce of a CD or DVD.
Write the steps on a paper and be ready to share
with your classmates.
After everyone has shared we will see the EPAs
version.
Most landfill content shouldn’t be there
Landfill contents
Textiles
9%
Metals
9%
Paper
39%
Plastics
14%
Food
14%
Yard Waste
15%
So What’s The Problem?
Resource & Environmental
Issues
Personal Debt +
Stress +
Happiness In Question
Impacts On Quality of Life
Throw away Culture – Use It
Once Mentality
Corporations Using Planned
Obsolescence
Model





Economy Tied To
Growth Model
Having ‘Stuff’ Can Be
Equated With ‘Status’
Media Promotes
Consumption Model
Policies Encourage
Growth &
Consumption
Consumption and Waste:
Ethics
35 times more resources for him
…than him
Options for Change
Close the loop!
Create
Dispose
Use
Conscious Consumption: Deciding

Deciding to buy
 Do
you really need it or just want it?
 Am I trying to fulfill an internal need with an external
thing?
 What would I do if I didn’t have this?
 What impact did this have?
 What else could I use?
Once you decide to buy, ask:
Do you want to support this company?
 Green alternative?
 Local alternative?
 Recycled content? How much?
 Recyclable?
 Will use emit GHGs?
 How long will it last?


How much packaging?
When you’re using it, ask:




Is it using energy?
Can it be unplugged?
Can it be recharged?
Does it really have to stay cold/hot?
When you’re done with it

Reuse
 Reuse
for another purpose
 Donate to a charitable organization
 Sell on Craigslist, etc.

Recycle
 Turn


it into something else
Compost
Dispose
Activities
Analyze Your Consumption

Look At Your
Decisions……..
 Cloth
vs. Disposable
 Paper vs. Plastic
 Disposable Cups
 Paper Use
 Styrofoam
 Cotton vs. Synthetic
Use More Than Once

Recycled
Content
Buy It Used
Repair Stuff
Re-gift
Buy Durable Goods
CLOSE THE LOOP
Pairs Activity




Think of one gift your received this past Holiday
season.
Do you still have it? If so, what are the qualities that
made you keep it?
Think about a gift you did not keep, what are the
qualities it had that made you not keep it?
How could you change the throwaway gift problem
next year?
Reduce Waste at the Source
Recycling is not enough!
► Recycling still takes energy, makes pollution:
Reduce vs. Eliminate Impacts
► Most environmental impacts occur in the “pre-disposal”
stages (i.e., extraction, processing, transportation, marketing).
Reduce: eliminate impacts upstream & downstream
Reuse: using a product in its original form, without the repulping, melting,
grinding, or other mechanical or chemical reformulation associated with recycling.
e.g., reusing a personal computer saves 5 - 20 times more energy than
recycling it; reusing a corrugated box saves 3 - 4 times more energy than
recycling it.
Recycle: mechanical or chemical reformulation of materials.
4 steps in conscious consumption
1.
Reduce Waste at the source
1.
2.
2.
3.
4.
Consider whether it’s a need or a want. Buy less
Buy recycled & recyclable goods
Reuse
Recycle as necessary
Compost food and yard waste
For more info on the link between material consumption,
recovery, landfilling, and waste, visit:
www.deq.state.or.us/lq/sw/globalwarming.htm
The Resource Innovation Group
www.theresourceinnovationgroup.org