Check-out conundrum. Reducing the environmental impacts of what we buy.
📷 Thanks to Mathias Reding on Unsplash for the cover photo.
Paper or Plastic?
If you’ve ever played a mental game of ping pong in your head when the cashier asks “paper or plastic?”…then you know how annoying it can be to understand sustainable consumption. Paper or plastic? Reusable plates or compostable? Multi-use recyclable cups or disposable? The answer to most of these questions is, it depends, which is not a great answer. Unless you have an advanced degree in materials science or environmental science, interpreting the data to understand the environmental impact of the items we buy and consume is frustrating at best and borderline impossible at worst.
Everything we buy and own has an environmental impact. Yes, even digital gift cards because, internet. We can comb through the varying impacts of paper, plastic or reusable cotton bags all day long—there’s a lot to consider. And certainly, the state of New Jersey can speak as the poster child of when good intentions go bad with bag mandates. As a consumer, there are two factors I have control over when it comes to purchases. The first is what I buy and the second is what I do with the product when I no longer need or want it. Let’s call this, the ‘end-of-life.’
What is a circular economy?
In order to describe how we as consumers assume some control over the environmental impacts of the items we purchase I want to elaborate on a circular economy. A circular economy is one where resources like wood, metal, water, cotton, and plastics are kept in use rather than sent to their end-of-life, which is generally a landfill or incinerator.
A t-shirt, for example, can be made from 100% cotton. Processing the cotton requires energy and water. Once the cotton is turned into yarn there’s generally some sort of bleaching and dying process, which requires more water and more energy. Then fabric weaving, cutting, and sewing—more washing, more energy.
In a circular economy, the resources used to make a cotton t-shirt are kept in use as long as possible to reduce environmental impacts. The water used during production is recaptured, cleaned, and reused. Renewables can be used for energy production. The cotton is kept in use as long as possible in the form of a t-shirt. Maybe it is repaired a few times, resold, or refurbished. When it is no longer usable as a t-shirt it can be remanufactured into rags or filling.
What does it depend on?
Back to the “it depends” portion of a product’s environmental impact. The longer an item is used, ideally replacing the use of another item, the lower its environmental impact. This is the circular part of a circular economy. If you’re able to keep a product alive through resell, sharing, refurbishment or repair you are protecting natural resources. Keeping the resources used to make that item in use and out of landfill. Even when an item is recycled some of the resources can be captured for reuse.
In a circular economy an item can go through multiple life cycles of repair, resell, and reuse. This is why it can be so important to choose items for durability. And why there is so much noise calling out the fast fashion industry which promotes overconsumption through low prices and ever-shifting trends and ignores quality.
In a circular economy, using one t-shirt for two years instead of two t-shirts for two years means you have cut your environmental impact from the production of a t-shirt in half. Maybe you can wear the same shirt for 5 years. That’s 4 additional t-shirts worth of production impacts avoided. It’s not perfect math, manufacturers will continue to make shirts whether or not you buy them but eventually, purchasing trends will affect production.
What would Marie Kondo do?
We’re human, our tastes change, our bodies change, we move, we downsize or we upgrade. We can flip from gothic farmhouse to Swedish modern design in one season. And sometimes, it’s time to Marie Kondo our things—choose what ‘sparks joy’ and pass on the rest. Marie says ‘discard’, I say ‘pass on’. Just because an object’s life in your house has run its course doesn’t mean it can’t ‘spark joy’ for someone else.
Just because an object’s life in your house has run its course doesn’t mean it can’t ‘spark joy’ for someone else.
My home looks very different today than it did 20 years ago after college, and that’s ok. I loved that chartreuse crushed velvet tufted sofa we rescued off the side of the road. It wasn’t the quality you’d find on Charish and it was definitely time to retire it when we did. Plus, you can’t easily move an eight-foot sofa into a walk-up Manhattan apartment.
When it is time to upgrade or update your home, think circularly. Here are a few questions to ask yourself (after you ask if it “sparks joy”).
Would I re-love this item again if it were refurbished? If it’s a chair can it be recovered, mended or updated?
If you can’t re-love the item, would someone else love it? Is there re-sell value left in the item? If you can sell the item, great! Someone else can find value in it. Online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, eBay or Poshmark are great options if you have the time to list the item, watch for bids and offers, and don’t mind shipping or meeting someone in person to pick up the item. But for many people, that takes a lot of valuable time. Our business fills in the gap as a great resell option for gently used home furnishings and decor. We buy and sell well-designed home decor and furnishings with lots of life left in them.
Would you rather donate the item? There are lots of non-profit organizations that can use your donated home goods and furnishings. I like to look for locally owned organizations that serve our community. If you have large items it’s best to call ahead, you may even be able to schedule a pick-up.
Can I recycle it? The answer to this is it depends. Generally, furniture and home decor items are made from mixed materials that are difficult to separate and recycle. Some manufacturers like IKEA have buy-back programs in place to resell certain items. If you have an electronic item to get rid of like a toaster or a lamp you can find a local electronics recycler to bring the items to. Metal items, like outdoor furniture, may even be recyclable through a scrap metal dealer.
When it comes to home furnishings and decor it is possible to reduce our environmental footprint and not live in a plain white box—unless you want to of course. Remember, we are in charge of (1) what we choose to buy and (2) what we do with it when we no longer need it. When you’re purchasing new or used items materials and durability make a difference.