CONSUMPTION & VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY Source: elephantjournal.com

All of our “stuff” makes an impact

Emissions are produced… CreateUseDispose

55% emissions related to consumption

What do we mean by stuff?  Anything that is produced, which you purchase, use and then dispose of.  Cars  Clothes  Appliances  Food  Books  Magazines  Forks  Lamps  Pens  Electronics  Clocks  Etc.

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)

Results – Energy (by process) Recycling is Up in Oregon, But So is Waste Generation 45 Recovery + Disposal = Generation 0.0 = Generated = Disposed= Recovered Key Total Solid Waste Disposed, Recovered & Generated Pounds Per Person Per Day Pounds Per Person Per Day

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

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

CreateUseDispose Close the loop!

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?

► 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 times more energy than recycling it; reusing a corrugated box saves times more energy than recycling it. Recycle: mechanical or chemical reformulation of materials. Reduce Waste at the Source Recycling is not enough!

4 steps in conscious consumption 1. Reduce Waste at the source 1. Consider whether it’s a need or a want. Buy less 2. Buy recycled & recyclable goods 2. Reuse 3. Recycle as necessary 4. Compost food and yard waste

For more info on the link between material consumption, recovery, landfilling, and waste, visit: The Resource Innovation Group