In the same way digging ditches and then filling them up isn't meaningful. Creating things that last for a year or two, creating food that leaves you hungry, drinks that leave you thirsty. Designing things just to create work instead of value.

I think that they are talking specifically about conspicuous consumption. That is: consuming things just to display to society that you have the resources to consume them.

It is meaningful but it is often pushed to artificial extremes and used to replace more meaningful things that we once had.