A viral Instagram carousel is pushing back against the overconsumption that many social media posts encourage.
Here's what to know
ZeroWasteStore (@ZeroWasteStore) used an Instagram post to argue against influencer-style excess.
Its caption began, "Not everything you see online is normal consumption!"
The account listed and showed the kinds of collections it had in mind: "It's not normal to have dozens of sunglasses, multiple types of sneakers, a collection of water bottles, tons of purses, or plastic bins of drinks in your fridge."
Examples of what not to do include an overflowing bucket of sunglasses and rows of dozens of shoes.
"Imagine individually unpacking your eggs," one commenter reacted.
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"Even more than 3 handbags seems like overconsumption," another person said.
More background
The main disagreement in the comments centered on the last example involving the refrigerator. Instead of rejecting the overconsumption critique outright, several people argued there is a difference between buying for display and organizing items a household actually uses.
One person said, "Okay I'll agree with all of them except the last one? Whats wrong with a stocked fridge? Lmfao. There's 7 folks in my house, food goes fast."
Another response defended the organizers as a way to cut down on waste.
"I agree with all of them but the last one," they wrote. "Since getting fridge organizers, I throw out WAY less food, because things can't get shoved to the back or buried under stuff and forgotten about until it's gone bad."
What can be done?
Several commenters suggested a simpler measure: whether it helps you use what you buy. For some homes, organizers may do exactly that.
Everyone consumes products in different amounts. While the post has specific depictions of what this account considers to be overconsumption, the point is to avoid buying excessively.
Money was part of the argument, too. Another commenter argued that a stocked fridge is not automatically wasteful "since they're not perishable items and can be cheaper to buy in bulk." Intentional use is better than accumulation done mainly for appearance.
"Somehow, we've completely lost the plot when it comes to overconsumption," a commenter lamented.
Where can I learn more?
Clothing overconsumption is also a huge problem.
• Across fashion circles, social media pressure fuels purchases that quickly become waste.
• For clothing alone, most closets already exceed what a sustainable wardrobe requires.
• Buying without a plan even while thrifting can turn bargains into clutter.
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