Stuff Made by Humans Is 60,000 Times Heavier Than The Entire Human Population

Spring is just around the corner, a season that has long been viewed as a time of rebirth and renewal. If you live somewhere that experiences the shift in seasons, this means that at long last, we can look forward to green grass, leaves on trees, flowers blooming, and the songs of birds looking to start families. For many of us, it also means that it’s time to get started on spring cleaning, a ritual where we scrub our homes clean from top to bottom and evaluate which of our possessions should go to the thrift store. Spring cleaning can be a real wake-up call in regards to how many things we own versus how many of those things we actually use.

According to a recent study published by The Anthropocene Review, human possessions far outweigh the human population. The study estimates that the technosphere, or the things that humans manufacture, ranging from cars and buildings to pens, electronics, and other personal possessions, totals 30 trillion metric tons. Meanwhile, the human population weighs an estimated 506 million metric tons. The study also notes that there are currently enough possessions to account for about 110 pounds of things per every square meter of the earth’s surface. Scary, we know.

Every day, we are bombarded with advertisements that seek to create false needs, whether it is for the latest fashions for an upcoming microseason or to buy the newest razor blade that promises the closest shave ever. In addition to that, one of the largest problems we face is plastic production. Globally, we produce 300 million tons of plastic waste each year, but 78 percent is not recycled. It ends up in landfills and eventually, 8.8 million tons end up in our oceans annually. This has a devastating effect on both the planet and the animals we share it with. Currently, 700 marine animals face extinction because of our trash.

Whether our plastic trash pollutes land or water, it is here forever — and it is changing the face of the planet.  Researchers have shown that the combination of plastics and the sheer volume of things that we produce may be the representative of a new epoch. Much like we use fossils and ancient layers of sediment to learn what life was like thousands of years ago, our things are leaving their mark on the planet.

So, what can we do? In this day and age, it is not reasonable or feasible to forgo all possessions, but we can certainly minimize. Before you buy new clothing or any new possession, ask yourself if it is a piece you need or better yet, buy from a thrift store whenever possible. Make a point to cut plastic out of your life by swapping everyday objects like bottled water and to-go cups for reusable water bottles and coffee mugs. Little swaps like this may not seem like much, but if more people opt to buy less and purchase reusable objects, we can help to make a greater impact on the planet.

For more tips on how to minimize your impact, read the following articles:

• 7 Amazing People Who Prove That Living Plastic-Free is Possible
• You Can Help Keep 500 Disposable Cups Out of the Oceans Every Year With One Easy Change
• You Can Help Keep 116 Plastic Water Bottles Out of the Oceans Every Year With One Small Swap
• Help Keep 100 Billion Plastic Bags Out of the Ocean With These 3 Unforgettable, Portable Totes

Lead image source: MOHAMED ABDULRAHEEM/Shutterstock