consuume

Consuume is a neologism used in discussions of sustainable economics to denote a mode of consumption that deliberately seeks to minimize environmental impact while maintaining social well-being. The term frames consumption as something that can be optimized through sufficiency, durability, and system-level design rather than sheer volume.

Origin and usage: Consuume appears mainly in contemporary debates, online forums, and exploratory academic writings since the late 2010s. It is not widely standardized and is often discussed alongside concepts such as product-service systems, sharing economy, and circular economy. In practice, consuume encompasses a shift from ownership to access, and from discrete goods to integrated services that extend product lifetimes.

Key features include durable design, repairability, and modularity; business models that emphasize access, leasing, or pay-per-use; sharing and repair networks; and digital platforms that track resource throughput and environmental footprints. Metrics proposed for consuume cover material throughput, life-cycle energy use, waste generation, and circularity indicators; governance may involve transparency and product-passport systems.

Critics note potential pitfalls: the concept can privilege higher-income groups who have access to services, risk greenwashing, and rely on data ecosystems that raise privacy concerns. Translating consuume into policy and practice requires clear measurement, equity considerations, and robust verification.

See also: sustainable consumption, circular economy, degrowth, product-service systems, sharing economy.