nonconsumption

Nonconsumption is a practice or philosophy characterized by deliberate reduction of consumption, or avoidance of purchasing goods and services beyond essential needs, as a response to concerns about environmental degradation, resource depletion, or the social harms of consumer culture. It can be voluntary and individual, but also collective, as part of movements toward sustainable living or ethical consumption. The term is used in social theory to describe attitudes that resist the normalization of constant shopping and disposability, as well as in religious or moral schemas that emphasize restraint.

Historically, nonconsumption intersects with voluntary simplicity, minimalism, and anti-consumerism that gained visibility in late 20th-century critiques of capitalism. It also appears in campaigns such as Buy Nothing Day and in practices derived from ascetic or frugal traditions. In contemporary discourse, nonconsumption may be pursued through strategies like repair and reuse, borrowing or sharing, mindful shopping, and deliberate postponement of nonessential purchases.

In academic contexts, nonconsumption is studied as part of anti-consumption studies and related fields that examine why people resist consumer practices and how they construct identities around restraint. Benefits cited include reduced environmental impact, financial security, and greater time and attention for non-material values, while criticisms point to social expectations, potential inequities in access, and challenges of scaling personal restraint into collective action.

Overall, nonconsumption represents a deliberate stance toward consumption that privileges sustainability, ethical considerations, or personal well-being over material acquisition, with varying norms and practices across cultures and contexts.