Happy Earth Month! Here at Viron we are taking the entire month of April to educate and give resources on how to help reduce, reuse, and recycle. All things land, sea, and air.
In this blog post we will be talking about overproduction of goods within America and on a global scale and the steps you can take to help decrease the amount of waste that is a result from overproduction.
*⚠️ This post may be a bit patronizing or snooty. We're a blog, not God.*
First... what is overproduction? Overproduction can be defined as an excess of supply for a demanded product being offered on the market [1]. In example, this can include your favorite boy band (BTS? :)) releasing a line of toothbrushes to fit a spot on the market. Except, the figure of what the supplier is going to produce will be based on a market research of both profit and loss within the line of toothbrushes, as well as a response to supply and demand. What the toothbrush company believes will be their "demand", they will overshoot the ranging number in hopes that more than their predicted "demand" rate will be.
This result of overproduction can be based on the average persons overconsumption. Overconsumption can be defined as the action of consuming something in excess. There are two large sources of overconsumption that can come to mind when reviewing the words definition.
Fashion & Food.
FOOD OVERPRODUCTION:
It's no secret that a lot of food is wasted around the world. Whether it's the innocent act of throwing away leftovers or tossing the frozen fruit you swore you were going to eat. However, you're not alone --- which is part of the problem.
Each year over $1 trillion dollars worth of food is wasted. In other words, it's not good for those going hungry.
The reason food waste is such a big problem isn't just because it could be going to those who need it. Food waste is one of the largest producers of carbon - over 3 billion tons annually. Moreso, our systems of farming in order to fill the high demand, exhaust water and soil sources. The amount of water used to produce the amount of food wasted is enough to fill Lake Geneva three times.
The United States is a great culprit for wasting food. From prepackaged, uneaten fruit, to whole sets of bananas and pineapples. We've become notorious, if not the definition, of food waste. In fact, 30%-40% of all food in the United States is wasted. That's nearly half of all food we buy from supermarkets, local shops, and restaurants. Of course, it isn't always us. Waste can happen at the production level (damaged or "misshapen" food), retail level (thrown out because of physical "blemishes" or overbuying), and the consumer level (when you buy more than you need and then throw it away).
HOW TO HELP: There is always a way to help aid in solving these problems, even if they are merely "small" steps that you and your friends participate in as a small society.
- First, always eating your leftovers is never a bad step. If you go out to eat on a Tuesday night with your friends, I can gurantee you that food you saved is going to be just fine for a Wednesday night as well. Try to chew what you've bitten off!
- Second, prepare a menu for the week and buy only the food you will need for the dishes. This is why we don't shop hungry!! If you're going to the store to get chips and salsa, do not pick up those mangoes or that bag of lettuce unless you know indefinitely you will be using it with the chips and salsa or making a new dish in itself with it.
Remember that supply is based on demand. If we all cut out our wastful intake of food, we can help make a mark in not just how food circulates but how to affects our water and soil. We can't make a copy of our earth.... at least not yet.
FASHION OVERPRODUCTION:
New clothes are tempting. Let's be honest, we've all seen a model wearing something and instantly thought, "I need that too!!". Well... maybe you don't.
There is something drastically different from food waste and fashion waste. I'd hate to say to buy that lettuce you won't finish before you buy that shirt you will only wear once but I will indeed say it. BUY THE LETTUCE YOU CAN'T FINISH BEFORE BUYING THE SHIRT YOU WILL ONLY WEAR ONCE.
Ever seen those, "I spent $900 on Shein!!!"...? Don't feel the need to participate in those.
Let's get down to the nitty gritty of it. Fast-fashion is not cool. We need to understand that rewearing things is cool. That wearing an outfit more than once is completely fine!
As we increase our consumption in fashion, whether it is luxury fashion or quick fashion, we are demanding overproduction of garments. If we were to buy less and understand that our intake of excess clothing is damaging to our earth, then it will be the suppliers who are forced to change. As long as we continue to support these companies while they exist, we are supporting the deterioration of our ecosystem.
Here are a few facts we should all be aware of... 150 billion garments are made each year. Each year. 30% of that 150 billion is never sold. 45 billion garments are never sold. Now, this does not take into consideration items that will continue to sit on shelves or perhaps move to secondary shops such as thrift shops or stores like T.J. Maxx. However, I believe it is a big enough number to spark some intruige into our consumer behaviors.
Over 50% of fast-fashion labeled items are disposed of within one year of purchasing. Each year, landfills across the world see 12.8 million tons of clothing. Of course, natural wear and tear of an item is expected, however, we know that this is not usually the case. As suppliers like Shein, Romwe, Aliexpress, and Zaful promote their eccentric and cheap clothing as a viable option, espeically towards younger generations. However, this overconsumption of cheap materials only helps in fulling the issues at stake. Just to produce these items, it costs us 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases from textile production. That's more than international flights and maritime shipping in a year combined.
In terms of the United States, the average American buys 70 new clothing pieces each year. That's enough for a new piece of clothing for every 4-5 days in a whole year.
HOW TO HELP: We know it's tempting and somewhat freeing to be able to go to Primark or Target on the weekends and grab a new tee to fill a slightly society-induced hole in your heart. HOWEVER, it's 2022 and we're reaching new highs in terms of sustainability. So, shall we?
- First, create a capsule wardrobe. Acquire well made pieces of clothing that you know will last you a while. We don't need new outfits for everyday of the month. Let's learn to work with minimal pieces to create maximum outfits. A few wellmade pieces can go a long way.
- Second, shop at second hand stores or consignment shops. Wear what other people didn't want to! And for all hell's sake, stay away from Shein! You can find good, unworn pieces of clothing at thrift stores and even garage sales for even cheaper than Shein, Romwe, Zaful, etc. We're manifesting it for you.
- Third, don't dump, donate! If you have worn clothes, donate them whever you can. See if any family memebers, friends, or in-laws can take them off your hands. Whatever you do, don't let them get to the landfill just yet.
Here at Viron, we hope you can take a few of these suggestions into consideration. What is yours is ours. The damage we do to this earth is all of our responsibility. If you do all of these, send them to someone who doesn't. Never be afraid to let people know that what they're doing can cause harm.
We're not perfect, not a single one of us. However, we can take the smallest, baby steps in the right direction. TRY.
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Facts, Concerns, and How To Help, found from sources below...
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