The Real Cost of Consumerism

Netflix’s Buy Now documentary sheds a harsh light on the impact of consumer culture, from plastic waste to planned obsolescence. It’s a startling reminder of why sustainability shouldn't be viewed as optional, it’s a lifestyle. At My Green Routine, we’re committed to creating solutions that challenge the norm and offer better choices for you and the planet.

Here’s what we learned from the documentary and how it connects to our mission to combat consumerism’s dark side.

Plastic Waste: 12 Tonnes Per Second

The Buy Now documentary reveals the staggering statistic that 12 tonnes of plastic are created every second. This is hard to visualise without seeing the documentary, of which the creative team do an amazing job of, but to put that into perspective, this is equivalent to the weight of about two adult elephants being produced in plastic every second.

This shocking reality drives our commitment to reducing plastic consumption over the lifetime consumer habits of our customers. Our plastic-free range, including Hair & Body Bars, Bamboo Toothbrushes, and Refillable Toothpaste, are designed to combat exactly this issue. By switching to these natural, durable and reusable alternatives, you help curb the demand for single-use plastics and make a real difference.

Planned Obsolescence: Products That Don’t Last

The documentary also highlights large corporations mission to mass produce products with “planned obsolescence” (the deliberate design of products to break down or lose functionality). This forces consumers to buy replacements, floods landfills and increases demand for wasteful production.

We take the opposite approach. Our products are built to last, saving you money and reducing waste. Take our Shampoo Bars: each one lasts three times longer than the average 500ml shampoo bottle, providing high performance and incredible value without the need for constant repurchasing. It's a counter intuitive approach to most business models, but we did not create this community solely for profit. 

By prioritising a sustainable supply chain, durability and good manufacturing practices with world leaders, we’re reducing the volume of purchases while ensuring you receive products you can trust.

Consumerism & Black Friday: A Different Approach

Buy Now addresses the consumerist frenzy that surrounds Black Friday, often leading to excessive, unnecessary purchases of low quality and end of life products. This resonates deeply with our Green Friday campaign, which reframes the day as an opportunity for conscious shopping. You can read our Green Friday Mission here.

Instead of encouraging overconsumption, we operate on quality > quantity metric that focuses on sustainability and long-term impact. Each Green Friday purchase helped fund reforestation and ocean clean-up projects, turning your shopping into a force for good, as well as introduced our new customers to a lifetime of sustainability. 

The Recycling Myth: The Reality of Plastic Waste

The documentary debunks the myth of recycling, revealing that only 9% of plastic is ever actually recycled. The rest is incinerated, sent to landfills, or, worse, pollutes our oceans.

We’re addressing this head-on by partnering with plastic clean-up initiatives to remove waste from the ocean. Soon, we’ll be launching a range of products made from reclaimed ocean plastic—a perfect example of turning trash into treasure. (Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know!)

Our designs also prioritise the end of life for every product:

• Bamboo Toothbrush: Compost the handle, or repurpose it as a garden/plant marker.
• Exfoliating Pouch: Use it as a soap saver or up-cycle it into a household cleaning scrubber.
• Travel Tin: Repurpose for storing small items like buttons, coins, or spices.

For refillable items like our toothpaste and bamboo soap, the zero-waste approach ensures minimal leftover packaging, just sustainable, reusable goodness.

Building a Better Future Together

Perhaps most importantly, due to the nature of their exposure, the largest impact towards these initiatives should come through businesses. Executives at SME's or Blue Chip organisations have a responsibility to offset their environmental impact too! At My Green Routine, we’re dedicated to plastic and carbon offsetting.

We also help businesses with green goals and an environmental conscious to switch cheap, plastic, toxic and high waste yielding products, to more sustainable options. So, commitment doesn't stop at our online shop - the Sales Team at My Green Routine is dedicated to cleaning all businesses carbon and plastic footprint., especially in Hospitality, Travel and Sports & Leisure. To get you started, we’ve created a Free Business Switch Guide to help other companies embrace sustainability.

Be the Change

Consumerism doesn’t have to harm the planet. By choosing durable, reusable, and plastic-free products, you’re taking a stand against wasteful practices and supporting a more sustainable future. Let’s redefine consumer culture—starting now.

Contact us at Info@mygreenroutine.earth and our customer support team will direct you towards the right team member to assist you with your inquiry. 

Let’s inspire change together.