In America, individual waste has risen from 2.68 to 4.9 pounds per day between 1960 and 2018 (US EPA, 2022). This change in "consumer culture" is a direct result of material and technological advancements, as well as social factors accelerated by the growth of the Internet (Dey et al., 2020). Though broader economic changes are needed too, you can make an impact as a consumer by:

• considering what influences your "consumer culture" mindset

• monitoring the volume of waste you generate, and reducing it where you can

Consumerism provides a "parade of distractions"; the non-stop creation of new fashion, technology, and countless other goods means there is never a dull moment for consumers. To fill the void of shopping and materialism, consumers can instead invest their time, energy, and money in community-centered programing (Waters, 2021). This could be a shared garden space (like the Eagle Heights Community Gardens, shown here), a "little free library", intramural sports, or whatever else people have a passion for!

Today's global economy heavily depends on consumerism. If people want to reduce their consumption, then they also need to be prepared for the stagnation of economic growth and create new sustainable jobs (Waters, 2021). Governments can also use legislative power to incentivize individual actions that reduce waste; for instance, many countries have enacted bans or taxes on single-use plastic bags (Buchholz, 2021).