Responsible consumption for sustainable development

Summary

The excessive use of natural resources and the increase in the consumption of factory products are causing environmental degradation as a consequence. Responsible consumption will allow companies and society in general to adopt an adequate way of consuming products, services and natural resources based on their real needs. Likewise, it proposes to use actions that reduce environmental problems by reducing, reusing and recycling. materials, which will maintain sustainable development.

Key words: Responsible consumption, sustainable development

Introduction

These two concepts (responsible consumption and sustainable development) aim to avoid the collapse of resources and make humanity aware that it must change its habits so that the biosphere does not end up disappearing, at least as we know it now.

The objective of this essay is to approach the subject from a social perspective, which allows companies and human beings to become aware of achieving sustainable development and a higher quality of life through responsible consumption., since companies must assume behavior and development in the sustainable field, without the need for society or government institutions to demand or demand it; Each company must be highly responsible in respecting the environment during the development of its process as in its finished product, however, the consumer influences a considerable percentage of participation, since today only demand products that meet their needs to an accessible wreck and that meet the required quality standards, without considering the product development process, the resources used to satisfy that need,the effects that these products have on the quality of human life or, above all, that environmental repercussions entail when developing the range of products that are available today.

It is worth mentioning that responsible consumption is not only aimed at products that go through a manufacturing process, but also those resources (services) to which we personally have access, such as: water or electric energy.

Approach

Firstly, we will cover a series of concepts that allow us to understand the development of the subject, to later raise awareness and deepen how to contribute to responsible consumption and finally emphasize how these contributions favor the result of sustainable development.

What is responsible consumption?

It is a concept defended by ecological, social and political organizations that consider that human beings would do well to change their consumption habits adjusting them to their real needs and opting in the market for options that favor the conservation of the environment and social equality.

According to Elkington and Hailes (1989), it is one that avoids “products that put the health of the consumer or another at risk; cause significant harm to the environment during manufacturing, use, or waste; consume a disproportionate amount of energy; cause unnecessary waste; use materials derived from threatened species or environments; as well as those that imply unnecessary mistreatment of animals or that adversely affect other countries ”.

Types of responsible consumption:

Critical or Social Consumption: It is a daily attitude that consists of meticulously choosing what we buy based on two criteria: the history of the product and the conduct of the producing company, pointing out to the system the productive methods that we approve and those that we condemn.

Ethical Consumption: It is exercised when the options are valued as fairer, solidary or ecological and is consumed according to those values and not only in terms of personal benefit.

Ecological Consumption: The development of critical attitudes in consumers creates informed and aware citizens. With the development of consumer awareness, rational consumption is reached, and this rationalization will lead us to make positive decisions with the environment.

What is sustainable development?

It is a series of principles based on social, economic and ecological criteria that seek to maintain economic and social development based on respect for the environment.

The concept of sustainable development was described by the 1987 Bruntland Commission Report as "development that meets current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Sustainability is a paradigm for thinking about a future in which environmental, social and economic considerations are balanced in the search for development and a better quality of life. These three spheres - society, the environment and the economy - are intertwined.

This vision implies respect for ethnic and cultural diversity, as well as the strengthening of full citizen participation in the ecological balance, through economic growth, social equity, transformation of production methods and consumption patterns, generating changes that benefit the human being who is ultimately the primary part of development.

From our point of view we can say that the objectives of responsible consumption and sustainable development are immersed in caring for the environment and the quality of human life.; Both aspects aim to make human beings aware of their way of acting and seeing things, since today the consumption of nature, that is, the use of raw materials such as trees, water or non-renewable energy resources continue to grow as if the capacities of the earth were infinite; in recent years, some countries have consumed a large amount of these resources more than throughout history. The task is not easy, with carrying out an exhaustive work in a more responsible behavior change of both companies and society in respect and care for the environment, this does not mean that all companies and people are under these circumstances, What we are referring to rather, is the fact that a percentage of these is not 100%, and the participation and responsibility belongs to everyone.

How do we contribute to responsible consumption?

Proposals for actions for responsible consumption:

Reduce:

Water consumption: close the tap when you brush your teeth and use a glass, consider the use of buckets instead of the hose to irrigate, watering in the early and late hours of the day. The consumption of electrical energy and electrical or electronic devices: turn off unnecessary lights and make the most of natural light, place energy saving bulbs instead of ordinary bulbs, disconnect all electronic devices and appliances that we do not need to have plugged in, decrease the consumption of batteries or use rechargeable batteries. in transport: Increase the use of public transport and reduce the use of private vehicles, move several people in the same vehicle.Use of paper: Take advantage of both sides of the sheets when using notebooks or blank paper,avoid printing documents that can be read on the screen of our computers, do not throw the paper away but recycle it after using both sides, use recycled paper. The use of plates, cans, objects with batteries, materials with toxic substances, etc.: Decrease the use of plastics and in particular of PVC (Toys, footwear, cleaning products), buy wooden toys or recycled materials, bring a cloth bag to the market or supermarket, reduce the use of disposable products using or reusing glass or glass containers respectively.The volume of our purchases: Buy only the products that are necessary and that in their manufacture have met a series of requirements so as not to cause degradation to the environment,discriminate products that in their manufacture generate a greater consumption of natural resources.

Re-use:

The paper: Print on the back of used sheets, create a notebook or notepad. Water: Collect rainwater, collect water from the sink or shower for the WC. Use recycled products: paper, toner and recyclable products. (glass jars, containers, cans, etc.).

Recycle:

Aluminum cans, cardboard, glass, magazines, metal, paper, plastic bottles, etc. Classify garbage correctly: organic and inorganic, have containers for organic waste, for metal and glass, for plastics and packaging, and for paper and cardboard. Carry in "strategic points" what cannot go to ordinary tanks such as batteries, cell phones, bulbs that contain mercury or toxic products.

Result of sustainable development through responsible consumption

The responsible consumption actions described above greatly favor the impact on the environment and the economy of companies and households in our country. For example, when there is an energy or water saving through a responsible consumption of these resources, the cost or expense will decrease in a considerable proportion as well. It is impressive to analyze that only with these small actions we can obtain great benefits, for example:

The use of public transport means a 75% energy saving by transporting the same number of people over the same distance, that is, a bus or group can transport around 15 to 20 people, while cars are usually always occupied by one or two people, this without considering that an own vehicle consumes three times more energy and that it produces three times more greenhouse gas emissions than public transport.

We do not discuss the fact that transporting in a private vehicle can be much more comfortable than using public transport, however, as mentioned above, the repercussions can be great, without considering that in recent years its commercialization, that is why we recommend that its use be moderate and efficient.

What savings do energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs mean?

Energy-efficient appliances consume between 80 and 65% less energy than less efficient ones, low-consumption light bulbs allow energy savings of up to 75%.

It is important when making a purchase of household appliances to know how much energy it consumes, since this will allow us to continue conserving the resources of nature and in turn meet our needs.

What savings is the consumption of electrical energy when disconnecting electronic devices or appliances?

Disconnecting most household appliances and electronic devices when they are not in use, saves up to 75% of normal electricity consumption; for companies a savings of 20 to 40% is considered, this depends on their infrastructure: facilities, equipment and the human capital they have.

Energy efficiency brings improvements for the industry, since it improves its profitability, productivity and competitiveness through the reduction of its costs and in turn reduces the impacts caused by climate changes. The importance of energy efficiency is not only based on the reduction of production costs, but also on the rational use of energy, since the lack of it, along with other resources, can stop production and affect the profitability of the company.

Energy is an essential natural resource for companies and society, however, we have not been able to appreciate the value that this resource has in our daily life and even more so in industries and companies, its indiscriminate use produces negative impacts on the environment For this reason, we must generate energy savings through the efficient use of this resource.

What savings is the consumption of water when reused in companies?

Many companies use large amounts of water in their production processes, this represents 22%, 8% is for domestic use and 70% is focused on the use of agriculture, however, just by treating the water for being reused in these fields or aspects of each of them, this action can reach a 35 or 40% decrease in its use.

For this reason, companies must direct their corporate strategies in establishing actions that allow controlling the use of water in their sector, as well as investing in technology that allows increasing the use of water within it, perhaps not necessarily within its process. product but without generating a good use of this resource, in this way by contributing to the stability of the environment, companies will also benefit as their expenses will decrease, since the lower the consumption, the lower the cost.

What benefits do we get from recycling?

Taking advantage of waste or waste materials or components to treat and reuse them achieves the following benefits: reducing the amount of waste and obtaining raw materials for new materials more economically than if they were manufactured again. For example:

Recycling glass saves 90% energy and for every ton recycled saves 1.2 tons of raw material. Recovering two tons of plastic is equivalent to saving one ton of oil. By recycling one ton of paper, 17 trees are saved..

As these examples we could continue listing many more, however, the purpose of this essay is not to explain or expose all the benefits obtained by carrying out an action of responsible consumption, but rather, it is the fact of creating an environmental responsibility thought and social in the human being, although it is true that these results are important and considerable, in the end they are only an effect of the actions that the human being and the companies take into account and consider to effect change; Currently that is the main problem, society and companies are not focused on analyzing what is happening today in relation to the deterioration of our environment.

Many are likely to think and believe that the "small" actions of responsible consumption use described above for products, renewable and non-renewable resources of the environment is minimal and insignificant, but we would like to say that it does not matter how little this may mean., every drop of savings counts and each person can make a difference.

Conclusions

The current consumption models are not only causing a serious deterioration of the environment as a consequence of the overproduction caused by the placing on the market of the different products that we have today, but they are also undergoing a process of health degradation As a consequence of the new food or social patterns, it is for this reason the importance of considering and taking into account the quantity of products and natural resources that we consume and taking responsible actions that allow and achieve a gradual increase in the conservation of the environment through sustainable development.

The implementation of actions for responsible consumption are of great importance, since by putting them into practice we will be contributing greatly to sustainable development for a better quality of life for our future generations, considering that any action carried out today will generate a repercussion in the future and through good consumption habits we will achieve a positive effect.