Issue＃7: The Environmental Costs of Mass Consumption — Seen Through the Numbers

05 Aug 2025

— Are our resources enough? Can the planet endure it all? —

"How much burden does the Earth bear for just a single product to be made, used, and discarded?"

We live surrounded by countless goods and services. Yet behind this “convenience,” the planet’s ecosystems and future resources are being steadily eroded. In this article, we examine the data and realities behind the environmental impact of our current social and economic systems.

1｜Humanity consumes a year’s worth of Earth’s resources in just 8 months

According to the Global Footprint Network, the Earth Overshoot Day—the date when humanity’s resource consumption exceeds what the Earth can regenerate in a year—fell on August 2nd in 2023.

In other words, we used up an entire year’s worth of natural capital (forests, soil, water, air, etc.) in just 8 months.

⚠️ We need 1.7 Earths to sustain current lifestyles

At the current pace, 1.7 Earths would be needed to meet global resource demand sustainably.

2｜Future resources are quietly running dry

At our current rate of consumption, the following resources are projected to face depletion:

Resource	Estimated Depletion	Key Uses / Context
Copper	Around 2050	Wiring, motors, EVs
Lithium	Around 2080	EV batteries, smartphones
Indium	2030s	Touchscreens, LCD displays
Phosphate Rock	Around 2100	Fertilizers, high-yield agriculture
Petroleum	After 2050	Plastics, fuels, chemicals

⚠️ While innovation may extend availability, many elements have no viable substitutes.

3｜Our growing waste is polluting the planet itself

Total global waste per year: Approx. 2.3 billion tons (World Bank, What a Waste 2.0)
Roughly 30% is landfilled or incinerated and not effectively recovered
Plastics do not biodegrade and accumulate in oceans, soil, and even human bodies

Marine plastic pollution:

Over 11 million tons of plastic enter the oceans annually — roughly one truckload per minute
By 2050, plastic may outweigh fish in the ocean (Ellen MacArthur Foundation)

E-waste surge:

Global electronic waste (2023): 62 million tons/year
Only 17% is collected and recycled

4｜Climate change: The “invisible CO₂” of mass consumption

Even a single product contributes to GHG emissions throughout its life cycle:

Product / Action	CO₂ Equivalent Emissions (Estimate)
Laptop manufacturing	300–500 kg
One pair of jeans	33 kg (from cotton to transport)
Smartphone	55 kg
1 kg of food waste	2.5 kg

Our economy, built on consumption and disposal, is a significant driver of climate change.

5｜The global periphery bears the brunt of our waste

Plastic waste, second-hand clothes, and e-waste from developed nations like the US, EU, and Japan are often exported to Southeast Asia and Africa
These materials are frequently open-burned or illegally dumped, causing health hazards and environmental destruction in local communities

The circular economy is not just about “green practices”—it's also about global justice.

What can we do?

We need structural transformation, as shown below:

Before	After (Circular Perspective)
Production → Use → Waste	Design → Reuse → Resource Circulation
Cheap, mass production	Durable, repairable, service-based models
Measured by GDP/sales	Measured by circularity, CO₂ cuts, efficiency

Conclusion: The numbers confront our way of living

These statistics aren’t distant or abstract — they represent the real impact behind the products in your hand right now.

We live in a time where individual choices ripple out with planetary consequences. That’s why both businesses and local governments must now take circular redesign seriously.