You have the power to inform yourself, engage in conscious decision-making, and ‘vote with your dollars’.

We need to be honest with ourselves as we reassess our wants and needs. While going green is the hottest new trend and we are made to believe that we can buy our way out of the climate crisis (a 10-pack of metal straws, anyone?), the simplest solution to overconsumption is to consume less. 

Ask yourself, do you need to go shopping for the latest fashions every month? Do you need the new smart phone because you need a slightly better camera and a marginally more amusing arsenal of filters—even though your last phone is perfectly fine?

It’s simple, isn’t it? Consume less.

When you do need to buy something, seek out companies who are transparent about their impact, their treatment of workers, and their supply chain. It is wise to invest in durable, higher quality products so they stay out of the landfill for longer. 

When it comes to being a responsible consumer, perhaps a good option is to shop secondhand. This will give a perfectly usable item a second chance at life, avoiding the extraction of more virgin material, and sidestepping the ethical and environmental consequences of your purchase.

Shopping secondhand is often super affordable too! From getting a used or refurbished smartphone, to buying a used car rather than a new one, scavenging in the exciting bounties of yard sales, to scoring free furniture off of Facebook marketplace, you are lightening the load on the planet and on your wallet—all while having a grand ‘ol time!

We must consider the entire lifespan of our products and ensure that they can be recycled into the next generation of products. We must embrace a Circular Economy. Much like Cradle to Cradle (C2C), which entails design solutions that consider a product’s entire lifespan.

In adopting this new paradigm, we acknowledge the finite nature of our resources, take responsibility for them at the end of their use, and effectively recycle or repurpose them.

Not everyone can buy a Tesla, go vegan, recycle, and go to farmer’s markets. While we may be familiar with fighting for the well-being of future generations—what’s less well known is the link between sustainability and intragenerational equity—equity within a generation. 

Acknowledge that many people, both in the developed and developing world, are struggling to meet their basic needs and don’t have the luxury to lead the ultimate, sustainable lifestyle within a system that pressures them to do otherwise. We need to be especially considerate of low-income families and communities, and recognize that climate justice also means racial and social justice.

Aways look to your triple bottom line (of economic, environmental, and social sustainability), think big picture, and look at the interconnected nature of our global society.