So many, if not most of the products that surround us in modern society don’t need to exist.
But they do — they offer us choice, efficiency, fun, value for money, convenience, and many other attributes.
But what is the cost of that convenience?
The price tag is what the consumer sees. That's the cost, surely?
But that price tag doesn't account for everything. As an economist would say, there are many externalities that are not priced in.
When the option of a cheap bag or item of clothing is presented to us, it can be immediately more tempting to even the most conscientious of consumers.
I feel this more so now at this time of year — with Halloween and Christmas approaching.
Shops full of plastic, cheaply produced tat. Labels with AI-generated imagery to suck you in. Carelessly designed products that are designed for a single use, and then to be binned.
It's easier and cheaper to buy, throw it away, and then buy again than to buy and keep.
It's also often so cheap that people are encouraged to buy what they don't need. People start to think "Why not just buy that? It's only £2!"
"I can just use it and if it's no good I'll just chuck it."
This kind of consumer behaviour is frowned upon by some, but it is legal.
But really, the consumer is not the primary issue here. While there are many ways we, as consumers, can buy better, there's only so much one can expect every consumer to act in the interests of the planet.
Really, the attention would be better placed on the companies, their incentives, and the regulations that they operate within.
And (perhaps this is a little lofty...) we could collectively establish how we evolve our thinking as a society. Rather than rely on rules, wouldn't it be great if we shared our purpose as humans to look after each other and our planet?
Is it not quite obvious that we cannot continue to consume like we are today indefinitely?
For the companies that make and sell countless, thoughtless, cheap, throw-away products, this kind of consumer behaviour is exactly what they want. It is encouraged.
Can the market alone really figure this out for us? I don't think so.
When it comes to cheap consumer goods, the current market incentives (in the UK at least) seem to be almost entirely at odds with what our planet — and ultimately, what we — truly want.
I'm desperately keen for us to change that.