29 July 2021
Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services each year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year.
Around four fifths of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from the vast amount of goods, materials and services which we produce, consume, and too often throw out after just one use. The overarching theme of Earth Overshoot Day, our unsustainable use of the Earth’s resources, ties in with Zero Waste Scotland’s messages around overconsumption and the associated carbon emissions.
We’ve seen many horrific examples of the climate crisis very recently with the wildfires in America and flooding in Europe and China. With COP26 coming up in Glasgow, it’s more important than ever to encourage Scots to do everything they can to help protect the environment.
Some key things to consider this Earth Overshoot Day:
- Overconsumption is killing the planet. Whenever we buy something new, we use up more of our limited virgin materials to produce and deliver it. Our precious resources are running out. Consumption is the missing piece of the climate crisis conversation, and the circular economy is a part of the solution.
- The average Scot consumes 18.4 tonnes of materials every year and a sustainable level of material use, which would still allow for a high quality of life, is about eight tonnes per person per year.
- There is a clear link between overconsumption and the climate crisis. The process of growing (or mining) raw materials and processing (or manufacturing) them into products to be transported, often from abroad, results in the release of carbon emissions every step of the way. These emissions are warming up the planet at an incredible rate.
If you’d like more information on Earth Overshoot Day for support and advice on actions you can take, visit https://wasteless.zerowastescotland.org.uk/articles/earth-overshoot-day