In Karl Marx’s piece “Capital, vol. 1, The Process of Capitalist Production,” he defines capitalism as an economic system that involves a class of capitalists, who own the means of production, the land, factories, raw resources, and processes required to produce a product, as well as a laboring class who work for the capitalists. Marx writes that “the capitalist…converts value, i.e., past, materialised, and dead labour into capital, into value big with value, a live monster that is fruitful and multiplies.” He explains that the business owners control the entire process in which raw materials and labor get converted into the final product. Because the commodity, the product created, is the capitalist’s property, all the profits are returned back into the hands of the capitalist in an ongoing cycle that expands the wealth of the rich. The outcome results in a tense separation between the capitalists and working class since the laborers have no influence over the commodity and the dispersion of its profits. One example includes yarn laborers, as they may spin for hours and hours, yet are subjected to the low wages given by firm owners. The yarn workers contribute only to a portion of the production that goes towards the commodity, whereas the capitalist possesses power in all aspects of yarn production. Therefore, the power and profits are maintained by the capitalists, leaving workers overworked and exploited.

Additionally, the effects of capitalism manifest in the environment. Industries of energy, fuel, and gasses have been known to emit pollutants into the air that actively destroy the ozone layer. Food retail businesses also create massive amounts of plastic and packaging waste, increasing deforestation and waste in oceans. Corporations are searching for the least expensive ways to produce and spread their products, without considering environmental effects.