2. Sustainable consumption

Selected barriers to the popularization of sustainable consumption

Modern civilization is shaping a one-dimensional and specialized man, serving the growth of industrial production [22]. Manufacturers are keen to reduce the useful life of their products. Appliances are breaking down more and more quickly after the warranty period has expired, so the service life of appliances is becoming shorter and shorter, and the European Union is also concerned about this [6].

Planned obsolescence, or in other words the planned shortening of a product’s lifetime, involves planning, from the start of the manufacturing process, and inserting into a product an element, component or solution that will cause it to age or fail more quickly [1]. Thus, the actions of manufacturers run counter to the principles of sustainable consumption [26]. It is worth emphasizing that most marketing methods of creating consumer attitudes involve manipulation leading to the shaping of a person’s behavior without making him or her aware of this fact [32].  Therefore, in light of the principles of sustainable development, where the aim is the well-being of society, particular attention should be paid to educating the public to be resistant to manipulation and to disseminating tools that provide reliable and independent data.

Sustainable consumption is supposed to be a set of rational purchasing choices geared towards meeting consumer needs, but also towards achieving sustainable development goals. The idea is that consumption choices should not cause other consumers to be disadvantaged, especially with regard to the satisfaction of fundamental needs. At the same time, current consumption choices should not limit future consumption, especially with regard to the consumption choices of future generations. This is the implementation of the principle of intra- and intergenerational equity. This means that a key factor in the realisation of sustainable consumption is the consumer choices made by individual consumers, as well as the social patterns in which these consumers function.

Environmental balance sheet as a source of data to shape sustainable consumption

In order to create environmental attitudes, it is essential to make consumers aware of the environmental impact of their consumption and engaged technologies [23]. A tool delivering information for it is the ecological balance sheet (Eco balance).

The Eco balance allows a quantitative and qualitative comparison of the input of a given balancing entity (system, plant, process, etc.) with its output, covering the environmental impact of this entity. The results of an environmental balance sheet allow an objective quantitative and qualitative assessment of the sum of the negative environmental impacts of a product over its entire life cycle (“from cradle to grave”). The environmental balance sheet makes it possible to create so-called environmental profiles of materials or products with comparable functions. With this data, it is possible to select products, processes, equipment, and technologies with less negative environmental impact.

Using the results of an environmental balance sheet, it is possible to reliably examine the environmental impact of various consumer goods and to create truly green consumer attitudes within the framework of sustainable consumption. The foundation of such an action is a clear distinction between ecology, whose aim is to preserve high environmental quality, and exaltation, whose objectives are often incoherent or non-transparent.