Now that we are more aware of the ecological impacts of the household objects we buy, as well as the harmful chemicals that may be released into our homes, what steps can we take to reduce these negative impacts? The most effective method is to be a mindful consumer: to reduce the number of items we buy and to know what we are purchasing.
This method of reducing consumption and making our purchases last longer is known as dematerialisation. It is the process of getting more out of fewer purchases. If you are interested in how dematerialisation works (on a large scale), check out this TED talk below:
This philosophy can be applied to our ordinary, daily lifestyle. Even little changes can make huge differences: An average Singaporean uses roughly 156 plastic bottles, 156 polypropylene plastics (think bubble tea cups!), and 208 plastic bags a year (Singapore Environmental Council, 2018). Imagine, if you only used a reusable bottle and a reusable nylon bag throughout an entire year, you would be saving 156 plastic bottles, 156 plastic cups and 208 plastic bags! We can apply this logic to most other purchases which we quickly consume and then trash. From clothing to electronics (do you really need a new phone every two years?!), to even food products, we can afford to reduce consumption of these items without really reducing the amount of happiness we derive from consuming these products. Moreover, instead of purchasing brand new items, we can alternatively purchase second-hand items, so that perfectly good stuff thrown out by other people do not immediately end up in the trash.
Dematerialisation also involves being more mindful of what we are purchasing; it is buying objects that can last longer, and have fewer impacts on our health and on the environment. For example, when we buy cheap polyester clothing, each time we wash the fabric, microplastics shed from the weave and are washed down the drain (Roos, 2017). These microplastics eventually end up in polluting our oceans and poison our fish. What we can do is reduce the amount of polyester clothing that we purchase, and instead opt for more durable cotton and organic weave clothing that we can use for longer periods of time without replacement. Alternatively, we can opt for purchasing services to repair objects, instead of replacing them willy nilly. Being aware of what we are purchasing also involves checking the label of our purchases, to see if there are any potentially harmful chemicals in them that could leech out into our air or water.
Author: Alicia Tiu
References:
Earth Day. (2018, March 29). Fact Sheet: Single Use Plastics. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-single-use-plastics/
Mistra Future Fashion (2017). Microplastics Shedding from Polyester Fabric Report. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from http://mistrafuturefashion.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MFF-Report-Microplastics.pdf
Singapore Environment Council (2018). Consumer Plastic and Plastic Resource Ecosystem in Singapore. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://sec.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DT_PlasticResourceResearch_28Aug2018-FINAL_with-Addendum-19.pdf
Sutherland, R. (2016). 2016 : WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST INTERESTING RECENT [SCIENTIFIC] NEWS? WHAT MAKES IT IMPORTANT? Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://www.edge.org/response-detail/26750