“We can’t just CONSUME our way to a more sustainable world”
I can’t stop thinking about how this quote from Eco Warrior Princess, applies to things we unconsciously consume in the name of “sustainability.” And how good intentions can have unexpected negative consequences.
I wonder if consuming online content, scrolling through pictures of vegetables, jars, reusable containers on Instagram or other platforms has the reverse effect than what’s intended and actually pacifies; covering up the real issues, providing temporary relief, alleviating uncomfortable feelings, a false sense of security. And maybe this kind of over consuming contributes to emotional numbing and desensitization. We’re not going to zero waste Instagram ourselves into a sustainable world.
When you scroll through Instagram and look at pictures of things in jars you may get the feeling that you're making less waste, but you’re actually just on your phone, and I wonder if this gives you the feeling of reducing waste without doing it. The reality is that we can't consume our way out of a situation that is a result of over consumption. And that includes consuming media.
I've been thinking about the rise of Zero Waste as a movement and how if it becomes a trend in a certain way, can end up being meshed in with a mainstream method of distraction. Where it shifts towards entertainment, a sort of frenzy, feeling like you “need” certain things, stainless steel straws and bags, in the same way as fast fashion. Where you think this next thing is going to make you feel better or be the answer- continually needing more.
Yes, sustainability products are great and needed, but only if you actually NEED them. We can target plastic and waste as the problem, but ultimately plastic isn’t the problem, it’s people, and if you don’t address the root cause of why we’re doing what we’re doing, scrolling and buying- insatiability, then a more sustainable option is just an imaginary Band-Aid to a cultural problem.
What if we focused on healing, looking at why we’re consuming instead. Why are you doing what you’re doing?
(The reusable silicone container in this photo is made by GoToobe and it was purchased at MEC)