Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff

That's alot of information in 20 minutes. Annie Leonard describes the system and processes that anyone involved in consumer goods has somewhat of a role in the materials economy. This is described as a linear system on a finite planet, where there are limitations in the cycle and thus problems appear. We are exploiting the environment -- undermining the variability for people to live and running out of resources fast.
Other important problems described include the release of chemicals and toxic materials. There are thousands of synthetic chemicals which can result in huge impact on physical and mental health; such chemicals are used in manufacture to make new products. However what goes in must come out and thus those chemicals may still remain in the product after manufacture.

I believe the major message in this movie is that consumerism now undermines fundamental, moral, humanitarian values. This consumerism offers no consideration to the detrimental effects it has on the environment and users well being. Money is power, and the corporations providing our products hold all the power. Governments put in place to monitor and sustain the well being of people are hierarchically lower, hence consumerist domination.
Monotonous advertising constantly tells users to upgrade using fear tactics. The fear of being left behind, or inferior to peers who do sport the most cutting edge products is a mechanism used to discard the old and sell the new. The result is further harmful production and manufacture, and more waste.