Week 8: Impacts of Consumerism/Life Cycle Assessment

Consumer culture

a form of material culture facilitated by the market which thus creates a particular relationship between the consumer and the goods or services he or she uses or consumers

Why do we over consume as a culture?

Cultural reasons: attitudes, beliefs, values

• Materialistic, Capitalistic, affluent

• the weather the country, the more its people consume

• We are exposed to approximately 5,000 - 8,000 ads a day

• Advertisers tempt, shape and create consumerism and needs where there once were none

• What we buy helps us shape our social identity and social relationships, bonding over shared preferences

• “keep up with the Joneses” mentality

What’s your consumption factor?

US consumes 5X our fair share of world’s resources based on population

-First world average consumption rate of resources and production of waste 32X higher than developing world

-Increasing population is a problem in terms of consumption and production

• Consumption of resources = oil and metals

• production of wastes = plastics and greenhouse gases (GHG)

Developing countries consumption

developing countries make up the largest percentage of the world’s population and strive to achieve a first world lifestyle

• competition for resources

Argument: if we are the model for developing countries, show we stay on this path or cut back our consumption and let developing countries catch up?

• India/China- 1/3 world’s population, SOL quickly rising, resource demand rising

• China alone catching up to U.S. in consumption would double world consumption rates. India would triple it.

If all of the developing world caught up to the U.S. consumption rate, it would increase the world consumption rate eleven-fold as if population increased to 72B

Consumption, happiness, and quality of life

Standard of Living (SOL) is not couples with consumption rates

-Research shows buying stuff does not always make us happier or contribute to a higher SOL

• In U.S. consumption high, SOL high, happiness lower

• In Western Europe consumption lower, SOL higher, happiness higher

Household Consumption

US has highest per capital carbon footprint 18.6 tonnes CO2 equivalent vs, global average 2.4 tonnes CO2 per capita

In 2007, China surpassed US in GHG emissions, but environmental footprint is small due to exports of products

• responsibility on consumer not producer

-Consumers are responsible for 60% global GHG emissions and up to 80% global water use

-20% carbon impacts

• driving cars and heating homes

-4/5 of the impacts are “secondary"

• the environmental effects from producing the goods and services that we buy

  • water use

-More than HH consumption, water is used to produce products we buy

-beef requires large amounts of water to produce

Consumption

using up of a resource

-uses up resources and creates carbon emissions and other wastes

Americans

are over-consumers

Psychology, Advertising and Consumption

-overconsumption- not entirely our fault

-Psychological manipulation by advertising marketing firms to sell products

Perceived Obsolescence

convinces us we need newer, bigger, better products and to throw away what’s sill good

ex: cars, clothing trends, trends of new technology

Planned Obsolescence

intentionally designing a product with limited useful life so we purchase it again

ex: jeans, iPhones

Ecological Transparency of Products

in the retail world…

-Advertising and psychology linked

-Psychologists study power of perception

• eco-angst- eco anxiety → worry about the environment, climate change planetary issues

• greenwashing- eco anxiety is alleviated through greenwashing →advertising to be better for the environment

• contrast effect

Power of Perceptions

perceptions: a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something, not always based on factual information

Examples: Bargain bin cabernets thought to be expensive people like it more, linger longer over dinner, food taste better, heightened brain activity, neurons fire

-Brain imagining reveals “neutral signatures” show happiness or disgust

→Opposite results if told wine is cheap

-Difference lies in perception, not reality

Eco-angst

the moment we discover some piece of unpleased ecological information about a product we bought causing us a moment of despair about the planet’s condition and our place in it

Greenwashing

purposely advertising ONE virtue about a products ecological benefits and conveniently leaving out the many negative environmental impacts caused by the product.

example: organic cotton T-shirts impresses - positive single virtue

Negative not mentioned-abundance of water necessary ti grow cotton in an arid region, workers exposed to potentially toxic dyes, harmful working conditions for women in factories

Contrast Effect

eye-opening data that comes about at the moment we’re comparing two brands

-stores, apps, and websites are providing new information systems giving detailed evaluations of once-hidden ecological impacts of products

-as environmental awareness increases, we are assessing our choices

-having this information affects our choices

Benefits

-this information gives us the ability to make better decisions and change our behavior (consumption habits) for better ecological quality

-information makes consumers more aware - choose brands without downsides

-allows us to vote with dollars and tip the market share towards ecologically safer products

Story of Stuff

Impacts of Consumerism

illustrates the interrelationships and connections between environment, culture, population, and resource use

-important because our consumption habits in the U.S. can have far-reaching effect on people and environments around the world!

Externalities: hidden cost not reflected in the price of a product - keeps prices low

Linear system of material economy: where our stuff comes from and where it goes

Extraction - transportation - manufacturing- distribution - consumer use - disposal

Externalities

hidden cost not reflected in the price of a product - keeps prices low

Linear System of Material Economy

where our stuff comes from and where it goes

Industry responds to changing consumer preference or what happens when you vote with your $$

as society expresses greater concern for the environment, industries and businesses In turn are becoming more aware and they are beginning to evaluate how their products and activities impact the environment

-some are providing “green products” and “green”processes”

-in order to minimize the affect of products on the environment Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is being used by many companies

Life Cycle Assessment

an analysis took designed to identify and evaluate the cumulative environmental impacts of a product during its lifetime LCA uses a “cradle to grave” or “cradle to cradle” approach

Industrial Ecology/Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

-LCA evaluates all stages of a product’s life from

• the extraction of raw material from the earth, transportation/distribution, manufacturing/production, consumer use and product disposal or reuse into a new product

-Often are not considered in traditional analysis

-Provides a more comprehensive and accurate view of the true environmental trade-offs (an exchange, choosing one thing to get another) in product or process selection

Life Cycle Assessment identifies and measures…

-inputs (raw material, energy, water)

-outputs (atmospheric emissions, water pollution, soils waste)

-externalities (hidden costs of production and consumption not borne by consumer or industry, not reflected in the price )

associated with a product or service over its lifetime to disposal or reuse

LCA process

Life Cycle Assessment

Cradle to cradle/cradle to grave

Products Life

1. the extraction of raw material from the earth

2. transportation/distribution→air, ships, railways, trucks,piplines

3. manufacturing/production

4. transportation/distribution

5. consumer use

6. product disposal or reuse→trash cans, waste yards

7. into new product

LCA Framework:

1.Goal Definition and Scoping

Where does it start and where does it end?

-define the product, process or activity

-identify the boundaries - decide how far you want to take it back, draw a line, and the justify it

LCA Framework:

2.Inventory Analysis

Identify and quantify:

(inputs) - Materials usage

• energy

• water

• raw materials

(Outputs) - Environmental releases during each phase

• air emissions

• solid waste disposal

• waterborne waste

• other releases

LCA Framework:

3.Impact Assessment

-Assess the potential human and ecological effects of energy, water, and raw materials usage (inputs)

-Translate the environmental releases (outputs) identified into assessments such as:

• Climate change/GHG emissions, toxic emissions, over-fertilization, ozone depletion, energy consumption, use of resources, environmental disruption, deforestation

(externalities) health and safety risks to workers, animals, habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, displacement of people

LCA Framework:

4. interpretation

evaluate the results and identify your options

-methods and measures used in LCA are science-based, however the interpretation of impact results requires the use of value judgements and cannot be based solely on natural science

-Important- LCA I used to make comparisons between 2 products, not decisions about which to buy (decisions analysis)

• can lead to finding solutions that would otherwise have been ignored

• can provide options for change such as:

  • trade-offs, product improvement, improve decisions making, policy making, supply chain management, marketing, etc.

Limitations of LCA

• an be resource and time intensive

Depending on thoroughness and detail desired:

• gathering data and availability of data can be problematic

• will not determine which product is best or which to buy

• good for making comparisons between products, not decisions

Benefits of LCA

• identifies and considers externalities in assessment

• can help decision-makers compare the product or process that results in the least impact to the environment, human health, and safety, and well-being

• can be combined with other data or types of analysis (i.e., cost/benefit analysis, decision analysis ) in order to choose a product or process

• identifies where it is possible to transfer environmental impacts

  • eliminating air emissions by creating wastewater discharge

• decisions-makers can fully consider the environmental trade-offs (an exchange, choosing one thing to get another) associated with a product or process

LCA Levi Jeans - stages of life

stage 1 Extraction: Cotton production

inputs

• raw material- cotton grown in China, India, and U.S, Pakistan, Turkey 40 M farmers, 290M farm workers

  • <5% sources from other cotton - a % is from animals

• Energy - fossil fuels (machinery, chemical inputs)

• water - irrigation

Outputs- Emissions

• carbon emissions - fossil fuel intensive

• water-borne waste, pollution - chemicals, fertilizers into waterways, water intensive

Externalities

• Health and safety impacts of farm workers- labor intensive, exposure t chemicals - pesticides, herbicides, etc

  • fair and safe working conditions?

  • living wages and salaries?

  • health insurance?

• Health and safety to animals - animal safety issues, toxic chemical to wildlife

  • adherence to Animal Welfare Policy?

• Environmental Impacts -

  • land pollution - soil degradation from chemicals

  • water pollution - -contamination of drinking water sources (algae blooms)

  • Air pollution - GHG emissions

LCA Levi Jeans - stages of life

Stage 2 - Production

• Fabric production - -manufacturing textile - turning cotton into a usable form

• fabric mills and dye houses - largest in Mexico

• Uses resources in process - water, oil, chemical dyes

Outputs -emissions

• land, air pollution, water-borne, soil waste

Externalities

• health and safety of workers - exposure to chemicals, dyes, working conditions

• impacts - air, water pollution, impacts oto wildlife and people

LCA Levi Jeans - stages of life

Stage 3 - Manufacturing

• garment manufacturing - making the fabric into jeans

inputs

• water and energy required for process

outputs (releases)

• air, water, land emissions

Externalities

• thousands of workers needed- product suppliers from around the world

  • are they interested in labor, health, safety and environmental issues?

• Working conditions in the factories - health and safety concerns

  • do factory owners support unions and labor laws?

  • is there a comprehensive workplace code?

  • forced child labor?

  • wages and salary?

• Environmental impacts from air and water pollution, impacts to wildlife

LCA Levi Jeans - stages of life

Stage 4 Distribution/Transportation (global Impacts)

Inputs

• fossil fuel for vehicles

• energy to power warehouses and retail stores and selling jeans

• resources used ti label jeans - creating tags, printing information on tags

• transporting finished products (Levi jeans) to distribution warehouses and retail stores around the world

• if arriving from outside the U.S. can be done by air and truck, rail and container ships→once in U.S. can be combination of light rail and truck

Outputs

• carbon emissions from vehicles

• retain stores and warehouses - heating/cooling/lighting, solid waste

Externalities

• carbon emissions into air → contributed to global warming

• solid waste disposal impacts people - emissions from incinerator, leachate, from landfills

• working conditions

  • do workers receive health insurance ?

  • are they being paid livable wages?

LCA Levi Jeans - stages of life

Stage 5 - Consumer use

Levi reports-

• during the consumer use phase - Washing and drying jeans, 58% of the energy and 45% of the water used during the lifetime of the jeans occurs

• to be more sustainable, wash jeans less, in cold water, and line dry

LCA Levi Jeans - stages of life

Stage 6 - Reuse/Recycle

donate your jeans to Goodwill

LCA Levi Jeans - stages of life

Stage 7 - Disposal

-clothing contributes 238B pounds to landfills/year

-average person throws away 68 Ibs/clothing/year

Outputs

• impacts from landfill/incinerator, solid waste, air/water emissions, land used, transported to countries outside of U.S. impacts on health and environments

Externalities

• health and environmental impacts from solid waste disposal impact water quality and wildlife from washing jeans - detergents, plastics

Fast fashion

providing clothes quickly and cheaply to consumers through shorter fashion cycles

-linear fashion model - buying, wearing, and quickly discarding clothes

impacts: economics, social, and environmental

environmental consequences: overuse of resources (esp. water ) for production, generates waste

Externalities

• economic: garments workers in Bangladesh grossly underpaid → non-living wages average $96/month

• social: forced and child labor in developing countries

• profits before human welfare

How to improve/ ways to help

• business models changing - industry beginning to transition to sustainability and longevity, by REUSE

• extending the life of the garment

• “RENT/LEASE clothing instead of buying” model

• requires individuality/cultural change (Adaptation)

• fast fashion industry is eliminating the disposal phase of LCA “cradle to cradle” approach