The average American generates 4.6 lbs. of garbage (2.1 kilograms) per day per person, which translates to 251 million tons (228 million metric tons) annually. With waste being an increasingly growing problem nationally and worldwide, it is imperative that we reduce our waste.
With a spike in consumerism over the past couple of decades and the elimination of products that are built to last, our waste streams have reached monumental levels. Moreover, advertising has done a stellar job of convincing us that the more stuff, the better. The Story of Stuff (which you can watch in the top right corner) has created an impeccable narration of the vicious cycle associated with our addiction to consuming and the disregard for the life-cycle intrinsically embedded in products.
Cheap products are usually made of toxic ingredients, in poor conditions, with underpaid workers polluting the natural environment. These products are intended to have a short life aka “planned obsolescence.” Having the need to replace something on a regular basis contributes to the wasted life-cycle of that product which unnecessarily fills our…landfills.
Disposable products intended for one life-cycle such as cutlery, straws, water bottles, juice bottles and zip-loc bags are wasteful and undermine our resourcefulness. Consider the energy required to produce these products and then ship them, only to be used once and for a short period of time. The average American consumes over 400 bottled and canned beverages per year.
Over-packaged products are an indication of a company’s ethics. There is an essence embodied in the presentation of a product and it is reflected in its packaging.
When we throw something away – where is away? It is critical to began to re-frame our impression of our waste stream and begin to integrate ways to alleviate this strain on our land. Moreover, landfills emit toxic greenhouse gases while leaching chemicals into the groundwater.
Landfills all over our country are closed or are slated to close, due to over capacity. This is forcing municipalities to handle garbage by transporting it to other cities and states – an outrageous, energy intensive and shortsighted solution. Use the ingenuity we have to advance beyond this epidemic: by incorporating simple steps into your life, together we can make a large impact.
