We need a shift in how we approach sustainability.
As consumers, we are faced with a myriad of choices, coupled with individual decisions around sustainability. The path we take is based on a complex range of experiences and background yet, in the end, we are all responsible for our own actions – some choose to litter, others take great pains to minimise their environmental and waste footprint.
While littering is universally indefensible, recycling and reuse still sometimes seems somewhat open to debate. We know that recycling reduces carbon emissions, saves valuable resources and helps tackle pollution, and that reuse sits closer to the top of the waste hierarchy, bringing even greater benefits. But digging deeper, there is an argument for reframing our relationship with consumption.
The current narrative around reuse, for example, has become increasingly popular. On the surface, this seems like a step in the right direction – the idea that reusing items instead of buying new ones is better for the planet is compelling. But when we donate or re-sell our used items, it sometimes feels that the unspoken message becomes, ‘it’s okay to buy more, as long as you donate the things you don’t need’. Instead of curbing our impulse to buy, awareness of reuse makes us feel better about passing on our used items, shifting the responsibility onto someone else.
The problem with this mindset is that when we reuse or pass an item on, one of three things typically happens:
- The best-case scenario reduces demand for new products, leading to less strain on resources.
- Someone who may not need the item acquires it.
- The item is not wanted and becomes waste.
As consumers, we need to rethink our approach. It’s not about stopping all purchases, but about promoting thoughtful, intentional consumption. Buy only what you need and use it until its true end of life. This subtle but powerful change highlights an overall reduction in consumption, not just the reframing of how we consume.
While consumers make individual decisions, some might say that, when it comes to packaging, these choices are defined by the products available and current recycling methods. In this way, business clearly also have a lead role to play.
With the arrival of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR), and particularly the advent of eco-modulation, which charges non-recyclable packaging at a higher rate, smart, well-designed packaging will be rewarded, helping to create the right conditions for consumers to ‘buy better’.