Consumption | Friends of the Earth

How does natural resource consumption cause harm?

Almost everything we do involves raw materials that have been extracted, processed, transformed, bought and sold, and often transported vast distances. Natural resources like metals, trees and fertile land are used to produce countless everyday products, from smartphones containing cobalt to soaps made with palm oil.

Global supply chains controlled by big business wreak havoc on our planet’s life support systems as they exploit these natural resources. And this environmental destruction comes hand in hand with human rights abuses, particularly for people in the Global South. These communities bear the brunt of deforestation, mining and displacement, while global corporations reap the profits.

Businesses must be held accountable for any social and environmental damage they cause.

That’s why we’re campaigning for a new UK law that requires companies to ensure their supply chains do not harm people and planet.

Sign the petition

Learning hub

Tree facts: deforestation in the Amazon. Half of picture is pristine forest, half cleared flat.

What are supply chains and why do they matter?

How can we be sure that the food we buy and the clothes we wear aren't doing more harm than good? Sustainability Analyst Clare Oxborrow explores how supply chains can negatively impact people and planet and why the UK needs a new law to hold companies to account for damage they cause.

What are supply chains and why do they matter?

Two women in a thrift store looking at a brown fleece

How can I tell if a product is ethical?

It’s not always easy to work out whether our favourite brands’ green credentials are up to scratch. With companies falling over themselves to promote their eco-friendly products, learn how you can cut through the noise and become an informed, conscious consumer.

How can I tell if a product is ethical?

Eat less and better meat

Find out the facts about food waste, and what you can do about it.

Eat less and better meat

Find out the facts about food waste, and what you can do about it.

Crowd of people walking along a pavement with shopping bags

Inequality

The world's richest countries consume on average 10 times as many materials as the poorest. It's grossly unequal. Many of the world's population hardly see a peep of these resources.

North America and Europe have by far the biggest material footprints on the planet. The UK is hugely dependent on other countries’ minerals, raw materials, water and land.

If everyone lived like the average US citizen, we'd need around 4 Earths to sustain ourselves – according to data produced by the Global Footprint Network.

A seagull picks a plastic crisp packet from the sea

Plastic pollution

Plastic sticks around in the environment for ages, threatening wildlife and spreading toxins. Plastic also contributes to climate breakdown...

Almost all plastics are made from chemicals that come from the production of planet-warming fuels (gas, oil and even coal).

Our reliance on plastic therefore prolongs our demand for these dirty fuels. Which is why we're working with other organisations to reduce plastic across all sectors, from supermarkets to stadiums.

How can we reduce plastic consumption?

Help stop plastics choking our oceans

End plastic pollution now