How can consumption be reduced while maintaining one's quality of life?

Consumption can be greatly reduced even while maintaining one's quality of life in at least three major ways. One is through technological improvements in the manufacturing of goods and increased efficiency in the manufacturing process. By improving technology and efficiency, industry can produce the desired goods using fewer natural resources. Another way is by having a truly sustainable manufacturing system—one that is circular and based on the principle of recycling, where waste from one process becomes the raw materials for another. Developing this type of system would allow consumption to be sustained at some maximum level indefinitely. A third way to halt runaway consumption involves the consumer rather than industry, where we alter our behavior, attitudes, and lifestyle, and strive to make personal choices that minimize consumption, while maintaining a sense of happiness and satisfaction.