Stuck in an Endless Cycle of Consumption - ‘Use, Toss, Repeat’

In Voices of the Future , Alexander Alegria-Seif talks about the circular economy—a concept I became deeply familiar with when I helped launch EnviroServe. The idea is straightforward: instead of discarding old products, we recycle them back into the system.?

Take your phone, for example. When it reaches the end of its product lifecycle, its components should be repurposed, re-entering production to reduce e-waste and resource extraction. At EnviroServe, we deconstructed everything—from mobile phones to refrigerators—breaking devices down into reusable parts and recycling old electronics back into the circular economy business model.

Hyper-Capitalism and the Pressure to Upgrade

But there’s a darker side we need to confront. Hyper-consumerism fuels a cycle of upgrades. Do we really need to replace our phones every 12 to 18 months? Companies push us to keep up, making us feel outdated if we don’t. The push to always upgrade extends far beyond tech alone. Think back to a time when refrigerators, washing machines, and other appliances lasted 15 to 20 years. Today, they’re designed to fail sooner—a strategy called planned obsolescence.

This system thrives on exploiting resources, especially in regions like Africa and Latin America, where metals and materials are mined to meet global demand. We’re caught in a system where consumer habits support unsustainable production, yet we are also trying to build solutions to fix the damage.

Can We Escape the Cycle?

The problem is twofold: exploitation on one side and efforts for positive change on the other. The real challenge lies with those in the middle—the consumers and businesses fueling the cycle. How do we change behaviours when the economy itself is built on constant consumption? How do we convince people that less really is more?

A Circular Economy: A New Way Forward

A circular economy offers one solution. It focuses on reusing, recycling, and repurposing materials to extend the life of products. Instead of discarding and replacing, we create closed-loop systems. It’s an essential strategy for businesses. Major consultancies predict that by 2030, companies that fail to adopt circular practices may be unable to compete in a world moving towards sustainable consumption.

At EnviroServe, we saw the potential. By breaking down electronics into recycled components, we demonstrated that waste isn’t just something to dispose of—it’s a resource. Every phone, laptop, or Nespresso machine that re-enters the production cycle helps reduce the need for fresh materials and lightens the environmental burden.

Why It Matters Now

Resource extraction and consumer waste are accelerating environmental degradation. But there’s hope. If we move towards a circular model, we can slow the drain on the planet’s resources. The question is: Will businesses and consumers embrace this before it’s too late?

A Future of Meaningful Consumption

We need to rethink our relationship with products and resources. The goal shouldn’t just be sustainability for the sake of profits; we really need to reimagine capitalism itself. What if growth wasn’t about consuming more but about making better use of what we already have? What if companies focused on long-lasting products instead of planned obsolescence?

The change starts with awareness and action. We can’t fix a wasteful system overnight, but every step towards a circular economy counts. The future of consumption depends on it—on businesses redefining value, governments supporting green business practices, and consumers choosing products with intention.

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It’s time to stop chasing upgrades and start building a sustainable future—one product, one choice at a time.