underconsumption, circularity, and caring for your stuff

I’ve been thinking recently about circularity. For those who aren’t sure what circularity is, a circular economy is one where resources don’t end up in landfill but instead are used again and again. Most of what we buy today is consumed within a linear economy - i.e. it’s made, bought, and thrown away. This of course leads to landfills growing ever bigger, and means that our finite resources become increasingly more difficult to retrieve, purify, and reuse. Once something is in landfill it’s there to either rot away, or sit for 1000 odd years until someone figures out what to do with it.

I’ve also been thinking about the current #underconsumption trend on Insta and TikTok (I am not and will never, ever, ever be on TikTok, FYI 😆). Commentators in the sustainable fashion space are rightfully quite excited about this trend, but I am a bit more philosophical. Trends are embraced by those who have no strong internal views about a particular topic. I have no doubt that many who are espousing the benefits of frugal living are more than likely doing so to gain views and likes, but even so, that doesn’t undermine the fact that it IS trending, and that means there is discussion - much like this one.

But what has circularity got to do with #underconsumption? In my mind, underconsumption is the original circularity model, it’s just that the circle is generally confined to a single household. That coffee machine that you love and get repaired over and over? That’s you keeping it out of landfill. Those jeans that you keep patching up because they are faded and soft? Out of landfill. That old sofa you’ve had for years because, eh, why buy another? Out of landfill. If you can keep something for long enough - fix it, care for it, pass it down, sell it on, whatever - then you can keep in out of landfill. It’s not circularity in its purest form, but by jingo it’s a good first step.

meg.