The latest sustainability trend making its way through the internet is ‘underconsumption core’. An antidote to our current levels of overconsumption, underconsumption core sees people sharing household items and wardrobe staples they’ve proudly used and owned for years. Its philosophy encourages people to buy less, buy better, care for items for longer and reduce waste.
Except, for a large subset of immigrant households, this isn’t anything new or particularly noteworthy. As Nina Gbor, founder of Eco Styles and Clothes Swap and Style, says, it’s “just another Tuesday” for people of colour.
“Underconsumption (and other environmental phrases like zero waste) appear to sort of rebrand the everyday environmental habits of migrant and ethnic communities that they have been practising since birth,” she tells Missing Perspectives. “I’ve seen POC often chuckle when they see trends like underconsumption becoming popular… as if underconsuming is some amazing innovation.”
Over on TikTok and Instagram, videos of minimal skincare routines, mismatched kitchen utensils and well-worn shoes are racking up millions of views. Social media is rife with unboxing and haul videos, of multicoloured Stanley Cup collections and daily new releases. The underconsumption core trend is net positive in our personal sustainability journeys, but the inference that this is groundbreaking is not entirely true.
@dainty.nugs Some underconsumption tips ive been trying to follow this year, i am actually spending WAY less already than last year on material items and way more on experiences, traveling, hobbies and spending time with loved ones! #underconsumption #deinfluencing #underconsumptioncore
Anita Vandyke, a Sydney-based rocket scientist, medical doctor and zero-waste advocate, was more driven by economics than environmentalism when she began taking sustainability seriously. She drew inspiration from the frugalness of her parents who had immigrated from Guangzhou, China with just $200 in their pocket.
“They really embraced that zero waste ethos of not wasting any resources, including planetary resources [like] food, but also money, time and relationships,” she says.
The theory of underconsumption (or simply, mindful consumption) naturally embeds itself into many aspects of one’s life.
“A lot of our people of colour communities eat nose to tail, so instead of just eating the best bits of the animal, they eat nose to tail. Same with vegetables, the scraps of carrots and celery and whatnot are put into stock and reused again,” Anita adds.
@abbiegarcia_ underconsumption girl thru and thru #fyp #underconsumption #underconsumptioncore
It’s a mindset echoed by Connie Cao, a Melbourne-based permaculture gardener and author. Her standard “immigrant family childhood” led her towards exploring sustainability through permaculture and urban gardening.
“Permaculture isn’t just about gardening… it’s also about designing systems and ways to live that are more sustainable. There’s a lot of emphasis on not wasting things [and] making sure the things you have are used to their fullest potential and have multiple uses,” she says.
This holistic approach to sustainability is seen through how her parents tackle home energy usage. “My parents have this unspoken rule where there has to be a minimum of two people in a house [before] we [can] turn on the heating,” Connie shares.
Despite living financially conservative and waste-conscious lives, Connie says her parents wouldn’t say they’re intentionally sustainable. “In their mind, it’s just the way things make sense to them. Like, why waste something? Prior to the Industrial Revolution, everything was a lot more scarce. I feel like those more traditional mindsets are still within grasp for people like my parents.”
For many who come from ethnic or immigrant backgrounds, underconsumption is not necessarily a choice, but a way to make ends meet. One in eight Australians live in poverty, and while poverty can affect anyone regardless of demographic, it’s worth noting that poverty rates for foreign-born and Indigenous people are higher than the national poverty rate.
But Nina rejects that this mentality is purely driven by fear of scarcity. “Much of it comes from a culture of sharing, community, thoughtfulness and empathy – and just plain common sense,” she says. “It’s important to note that there are also a significant number of non-POC people in Western culture who have always lived a zero waste lifestyle and never veered into overconsumption or throwaway culture.”
Anita expands on how these values and beliefs are universal. “In Australia, we have to look at our Indigenous heritage [and] the great way that [First Nations people] live with the land… we learn from them that we are caretakers on this land; we are renting this land,” she says.
“There’s this lovely [Native] American [principle] that you have to look after things for seven generations, so seven generations before and seven generations ahead. The decisions you make not only impact yourself in this moment and the people around you at this time; you have to think forward and also consider backwards as well.”
Underconsumption is far from a fleeting fad; it’s been a way of life for generations. While TikTok insists on calling it a ‘core’ and a ‘trend,’ it’s encouraging to know that for communities around the world, this level of consumption is simply the norm.
Anita views the underconsumption core trend as an invitation for people to become open to rethinking their consumption habits and purchasing decisions. “It might start [with] fast fashion, but then it might [continue] to the food you eat, who you vote for [and] what you do with your life. That general progression invite[s] you to open the door, and then keep it open.”
Who knows what the future of consumption holds? “I do feel like me and my friends always say we’re turning into our parents as we get older,” Connie laughs. And that might not be entirely bad, all things considered.