Ever paused to ask yourself, ‘what is the impact of my daily activities at home and workplace on the planet Earth?’
This is an important question considering that our consumption habits have a big impact on the environment. As the world pursues the carbon neutral agenda, the role of consumers in achieving net zero emissions cannot be under-estimated.
A 2018 study by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NUST) revealed that consumers account for more than 60 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions and 80 percent of the world’s water use.
Consumers are directly responsible for 20 percent of all carbon impacts, for example, when people drive cars and heat their homes.
While manufacturing and other economic activities like transport, energy generation and agriculture have a huge carbon footprint on the planet, through use of fossil fuels and extraction of natural resources, consumers impact nature and ecosystems negatively through their lifestyles and use of various products.
Household consumption has a significant impact on the environment but as the study by NUST shows, households have the ability to control their consumption habits given the right choices, for example, households powered by renewable energy and products that come with a recycle option, save energy and reduce water use.
Consumers can be part of the circular economy, a trend that is gaining currency globally. This refers to a process or system where resources are utilized in a manner that encourages reducing excessive consumption through re-using and recycling products.
Fortunately, a rising number of people even here in Kenya are embracing environmentally friendly lifestyles and sustainability in the way they purchase, use and dispose of products. Consumers are feeling a deeper connection with the brands they use as part of their eco-conscious beliefs.
So, they want energy-saving appliances and gadgets and also are increasingly switching to renewable energy like solar to trim power bills. With recurrent water rationing, who would not want a washing machine that uses less water?
In Kenya, one can purchase a variety of LG home appliances, entertainment systems and air conditioning solutions that deliver numerous environmental benefits.
Take for instance the 2021 LG Soundbars that use polyester resin sourced from used plastic bottles or recycled plastics. This means less plastic waste damaging the environment. The packaging aces the quest to recycle materials thus contributing to a carbon neutral world. While recycling is still taking hold in Kenya, such products make the circular economy a reality.
The recycled molded pulp and less EPS plastic and foam used means there will be less of these materials in dumpsites.
Or take LG eco-friendly smart appliances the WashTower, which combines a washing machine and dryer in one unit, featuring technology that gives better results and shorter laundry times, thus reducing water and energy consumption. In other words, energy-saving, environmentally friendly living and sustainability packed into one home appliance.
The revolutionary DUAL Inverter Compressor technology inside LG’s air conditioners adjusts the temperature in the room perfectly, reducing electricity consumption by up to 70 percent. In hot, humid places like Kenya’s coastal region, such come in handy especially in hotels where people not used to that environment are visiting.
Such LG products are good examples of how the circular economy works. The concept of the circular economy is tied to a widely used tool by businesses to measure their impact on the environment, namely, the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) framework.
It is therefore not surprising that LG Electronics embraces positive ESG actions as part of the core technology driving its products. You, the consumer, can actually measure how many liters of water or kilowatts of electricity you have saved by using LG products. You can tell by how much you have reduced your environmental footprint.