Reducing Our Consumption

When it comes to buying new things, there are many unseen environmental, social, and financial costs associated with those products. Greenhouse gas emissions and waste are found throughout that product’s life-cycle starting from the processing of materials, all the way to disposal. The image below shows some of the ways that a plain cotton t-shirt impacts the environment.

As the environment is drastically affected by over-consumption, we talked to Janis Galloway and Fish Griwkowsky about a challenge they recently completed which they called the “Quarter of Denial.” Featured in the Edmonton Journal, they discussed their decision to test themselves by purchasing nothing (other than consumables) for three months.

Janis is a publicist at her company, Publicity Room, specializing in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands. Fish is an award-winning local journalist and a filmmaker. Their different lifestyles gave each a unique experience throughout this challenge.

Last year, they both participated in the Minimalism Game where they each got rid of about 500 items that they did not need. It was the second year for Fish. (Read about his first year.) This year, rather than trying to get rid of excess, they decided to tackle the problem - over-consumption - from the source.

There is sometimes a sense of pride and accomplishment associated with the things that you own. Janis noted that “we think we have to own the house, we have to have a double garage, we have to own the car, we have to accumulate things, and that’s kind of celebrated in our culture, which I think is kind of concerning.”

There are many strategies to reduce consumption and the environmental impacts associated with new products, one being to borrow. Before heading off to Mexico, Janis, who would normally buy a new outfit, turned to her friends to borrow pieces/outfits for the trip.

Different organizations around Edmonton allow you to have access to things without having to actually own them. One example is the Edmonton Tool Library. Here you can borrow tools from an inventory of over 600 items, so that you don’t have to own a power drill that you only use a few times. If most of your travel is within the city, an alternative to owning a car is to use public transit and supplement it with Pogo Carshare. This service allows you access to a car that is metered based on the time used.

A quick google search will reveal other services around the city that allow you own less.

Learning how to fix and mend your stuff helps to extend its life. Both Fish and Janis mentioned making use of the internet to learn some of these skills. If you have anyone in your life with these skills, ask for assistance or a quick lesson. Organizations around Edmonton will also help in skill-building. Janis highlighted House of Sew which is run by a designer, Beverly Gan, and “teaches people basic sewing skills”.

Another topic that came up briefly was the idea of gift-giving. Fish mentioned “when I got married, we asked for money to travel instead of stuff — that saved everyone the hassle and we got a trip we’d never be able to afford otherwise.” Giving the gift of experiences rather than things can ensure that people are getting something that can be of value, rather than something that may be put away and forgotten, adding to unnecessary consumption.

We asked  Fish and Janis for advice about how they deal with their drive to purchase. For those who are collectors, Fish says to “go cold turkey and stop identifying yourself with what you buy. You are not your Batman T-shirt.”

During this challenge, Fish said that he “just start[ed] using things [he] hadn’t enjoyed yet. Many of us have a book we bought and haven’t read yet.”

One way that Janis has become aware of her purchasing habits is through an internal dialogue. “I have a pause at least and I’ve walked away from tons of things, or maybe I’ll just wait a day to get it, and usually you won’t, you’ll forget about it….In the fashion world, there is this new thing called ‘30 wear promise’: when you buy something, you should say, ‘Can I get 30 wears out of this piece of clothing?’ If not, should you be purchasing it?”

When you want to purchase something, pause and think. Do you need it? Do you own an alternative item that serves a similar purpose? For things that you do need to purchase, consider buying used, fair trade, and/or local. “I’m a big fan of used merchandise,” Fish said. “Imagine if swapping and donating was something we all did all the time!”

“At the end of the day, we just have to consume less. It doesn’t matter how green you are making a product, we have to stop consuming so much stuff,” said Janis. Being aware of these impacts can help you make more sustainable purchasing decisions.

This post was written by our summer students, Stephanie and Graham. If you live in Edmonton and have a climate change story to tell, let us know! Your story could be shared here too.