How can we reduce the effects of climate change? It’s the million-dollar question as temperatures soar, droughts and wildfires rampage and legislation stalls. The challenge is a monumental one, so let’s break it down to a more digestible one: how can we reduce our impact on the planet? Fortunately, there are many ways we can make small changes that can make a significant difference, but there is one that is among the most effective and least popular, and that is to reduce consumption.

 
Why do we need to reduce our consumption?
 
Goal 12 of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals is to ‘ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns’. Their research states that an estimated third of all food produced annually ends up rotting in the bins of consumers and retailers, or spoiling because of poor transportation and harvesting practices. 

Should the global population reach 9.6bn by 2050, the equivalent of close to three planet Earths would be required to provide the necessary natural resources to sustain current lifestyles. Clearly unsustainable, reducing consumption is vital for the future of our available resources. 
 
 
Is it possible to reduce consumption?
 
The short answer is yes, but there are easy ways to reduce consumption by tweaking our daily habits, as well as some not so easy ways, that will involve larger sacrifices and people coming together to make a real, global difference.
 
Before we take a look at ways to reduce our consumption of specific resources, it’s worth putting our general consumer mindset under the microscope.
 
•    A study in 2015 found that an incredible 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the production and use of households goods and services.
•    The UN reports that the richest one percent of the global population is responsible for more than double the emissions of the poorest 50 percent.
•    90 percent of emissions from fossil fuel businesses are a direct result of the products made from fossil fuels
 
Large fossil fuel organisations may be the most significant emitters, but consumer demand is certainly a driving force.
 
How can we reduce our consumption of….water?
 
You may have read our previous blog about the impending water crisis, and you have no doubt seen increasing news stories about the impact of drought on communities. An estimated 3.6 billion people, or 47%, live in areas that suffer water scarcity at least one month annually. The reality is, it’s already a big problem for billions of people. 

It’s crucial that we reduce water consumption. Industries such as agriculture, fashion, energy, eat, and mining must make significant efforts to decrease water consumption, but the truth is that all industries need to explore ways to cut down water usage. 

KAVALAN Moonlight River is an example of innovation in response to the global freshwater crisis.

Moonlight River is a textile replacement banner designed to eliminate the washing process in textile signage, and reduce overall freshwater usage by 67 percent. 

 
How can we reduce our…plastic use?
 
 Plastic pollution is among the most monumental threats to the environment, and our production of plastic products is unfortunately going in the wrong direction. National Geographic states that half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years, and that production is expected to double by 2050.

As individuals, change is welcome and visible, from paper straws replacing plastic ones in the hospitality industry to reusable water bottles becoming the norm, and initiatives across the world such as plastic bag charges, single-use plastic bans, and plastic packaging taxes are becoming increasingly common. 

More and more businesses are putting sustainability front and centre, too, increasingly implementing ESG frameworks. An act such as going PVC-free can make a real difference to ESG immediately; if the entire sales of PVC banner equivalent in Europe in 2018 were replaced by KAVALAN Sunlight 300, it could have saved enough fresh water for almost 4 million people for one year. Just 10,000 square metres of KAVALAN Sunlight Light will save enough fossil fuel to power a BMW three on 12 return journeys between London and Paris. Just 10,000 square metres of KAVALAN Spiderweb 300 would save the carcinogenic equivalent of 10.4 million packs of cigarettes, the equivalent of 552 years of life. 

Small changes can have an incredible impact. 

How can we do more with less? 

KAVALAN’s mission is to lead the large format printing industry forward by creating innovative, environmentally friendly materials that help our customers succeed, but also help our planet heal. To see how our PVC-free banners and textile replacement products can help you accomplish your sustainability goals, find your nearest distributor in KAVALAN’s distribution network here.

Join the green revolution now. Go PVC-free, go for Kavalan!