Why are we so wasteful?
@soulsister_16 (738)
Switzerland
September 25, 2007 3:27pm CST
Hmm, I don't know what to say here, really - its just been something I've been thinking about a lot recently. Why are we (people, worldwide) so incredibly wasteful? I'm actually not at all surprised that we are and am fairly clear as to why, but it can be a discussion anyway.
Why do we put into a landfill good and working items that someone else is buying new in a shop?
Why is it not routine to recycle dirty bath/dish water to flush toilets etc?
Why doesn't every building have rain-water collection systems and water butts? It's hardly an unworkable feat of engineering to set it up.
Why is undamaged packaging discarded at its destination and then new packaging produced? Cardboard boxes scrapped and identical new ones folded into shape to send the product on to its next step.
Why is consumerism so very attractive to the vast majority?
Some examples of what I'm talking about there. I don't want to write much on the topic - I wouldn't know when to stop, so I'll just see what happens.
If anyone wants to see examples of what I mean start taking a look in skips and big bins at places like university halls. If I had sold the things I've found recently I could have made £100's from about an hour of looking. Literally everything in our modern lifestyles is routinely discarded, while in good working order, and presumably the consumer buys a new one. There exist minor networks for recycling things.
Presumably things are not different for the following reasons:
Pressure from big manufacturers and materials sources (remember that oil --- everything) to continue throwing things away as much as possible. If you reuse that cup, bottle, box, TV, then they don't get to sell as many new ones.
The same with utilities companies - if people start recycling their household water and collecting rain then their profits will be cut by a huge factor. And despite the trends for gas/electricity companies to pretend to be "green", the last thing they want is for you to save energy by not running useless appliances and lights, etc (see below).
Have ecological concerns been pretty much hijacked already by big producers, telling us that we're being "green" when throwing money at them when really nothing's changed?
Is it some kind of social positioning issue whereby using something that another finds undesirable lowers you beneath that person?
Is it just an awful tradition, and most people can't understand why it should be any other way? Unless you live right next to a landfill site, anything thrown away is just *gone*.
I think they're all in operation. Luckily I don't feel vulnerable to the issue of being inferior to my donors, although I can access that feeling and "understand" it. The street cleaners this evening refered to me as a 'scavenger' as I collected untouched crates of fruit and vegetables discarded by the market vendors. It was surely meant to be derogatory, but as far as I can see its better to take all that for free than work for a day sweeping the street just to be able to buy the same stuff.
3 people like this
10 responses
@pumpkinjam (8546)
• United Kingdom
26 Sep 07
I know what you mean and a lot of people are now beginning to realise and do something about it. For example, there is this "new" idea of recycling your supermarket bags over again. My family have always kept carrier bags and, even if we haven't taken them to the shops again, they have been used in other ways, often to discard other rubbish. Also, I think companies are being encouraged to use less packaging in the first place.
I think a lot of people just want to buy everything brand new and don't think of the packaging. We've got a garage full of boxes because we don't throw them away. I, personally, wouldn't want to buy brand new packaging if I already have something which will do the job just as well. As for goods, I think that is different in a way because a lot of people don't think anyone will want their old goods and, particularly with large goods such as fridges and furniture, people find it easier to just discard it. I have actually been wondering what to do with my old furniture. We've not even got plans to buy any new yet but what we have got actually belongs to my sister but I don't think she really wants it back and, it's still useable so I don't see any reason not to have it used by someone else who couldn't otherwise afford their own furniture.
I do think that people are lazy and thoughtless about these things and that is often the reason why we are so wasteful.
@Anyeshinibaba (2)
• China
26 Sep 07
Because the living standard of the workers has improved rapidly.
And most of people think things at home is batter than money at the bank.
@spoiled311 (5500)
• Philippines
26 Sep 07
i also think that we are wasteful because we are discontented. we are imperfect and therefore have selfish desires and ambitions. we want to hoard more, as we think that we will feel more adequate with each new acquisition. but when we have it, we want more. it is a vicious cycle. but if our satisfaction is in the Lord, we will not want anything more. :-)
@gorgeousdreamer (1034)
• Philippines
26 Sep 07
I think one of the reason is that most people are lack of discipline. Because if most people are disciplined enough, they will do the right thing in order to preserve our world from pollution and other danger. Usually, people starts to make a solution when the problem is already there or when our world is already damage. But if there's nothing happened bad with our environment, people will just ignore it.
@kaerfaima (103)
• Philippines
26 Sep 07
I guess that's the way people really are. That's the nature we are used to have. It's hard to remove that. But maybe in the distant future there will be a change. hehe
When people would invent a machine that will change the minds of the idiots. hehe
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
26 Sep 07
We waste because we are spoiled and lazy. Our society has a lot of what we need in abundance, but not every culture lives like that. There are many who have to use and re-use until there is nothing left to use. I know that Americans are all spoiled. I know that I am.
It is interesting that I would read this topic right after having dinner. Today at dinner, some friends and I were talking about this guy we know who does not care where he gets his meals from. He will eat out of the trash, at home, or in a five star resturant, all in the same day.
While talking to my friends, I stopped to pray. I said Lord please don't ever let me eat out of the trash or sleep outside. It would really be hard for me. I do not even go camping. I have never been and have no desire to sleep outside under the stars. I have had nightmares about it though.
I do realize how blessed I am. Though most of America would look at me and say that I am poor. By their standards and am. There have been times in my life that I have had more going for me in my life than I do now. God, makes the difference for me now.
I am very content and happy in my life right now. Not because of who I am, but because of whose I am. Not because of what in I have, but because of who has me. I a child of God and that means that all of my needs are met, in Jesus name.
@derek_a (10874)
•
26 Sep 07
I see consumerism as a form of propaganda that drives our economies. But it does seem to have a habit of "shooting itself in the foot". It seems that through the various of propaganda from government and industry, the majority of us have become hypnotised by a "must have" mentality. We feel that we will get left behind or isolated from those we think are better off than us. A basic tribal need in most of us is to be part of the majority to a greater or lesser degree. Even a recluse, paradoxically leans towards it by fearing rejection he may reject the rest of society. I think it probably goes even deeper and more complex too.. Such is the working of the ego-mind.
@izathewzia (5134)
• Philippines
26 Sep 07
Yes, i agree with you. Other people don't realize that there money in waste products. I used to lead socio-civic grous and mostly collection and selling of junks are our common fund-raising projects that really yields funds for our group. There are a lot of waste - that is how we consider it, that can still be turn into money. Junk shops do buy empty bottles, old newspapers, magazines, scratch papers, corrugated boxes, tin cans, plastics, and money more. Until now, i still save those things and placing it into garbage bags and when I already save enough I sell it to the junkshops nearby.
@yougreat (150)
• China
26 Sep 07
the main reason is that our living standard has improved,and we have a lot of money,but the characters of the most people is that we learned a variety of means to earn money,but we can not learn how to cherish
