subject: The Throwaway Culture Of The Modern Day and How To Avoid Being A Part Of It [print this page] The Throwaway Culture Of The Modern Day and How To Avoid Being A Part Of It
The modern world is amid a throwaway culture. Many people are regrettably more interested in appearance and cost than the planet, and the economic downturn is augmenting this attitude.
Litter is an eye sore to the surroundings, pricey to handle and a drain on the natural environment. Yet due to the fact that rubbish tips are so distant from the majority of our eyes and noses, we take an out of sight, out of mind' attitude and ignore the reality that rubbish is a huge problem.
We discard infinite items that could be easily recycled. The victory of clothing retailer Primark, and other similar cost effective retailers, has ensured that consumers are now happy to purchase clothes intended to only last a couple of wears, provided that the demand on their purse is minimal.
And the depressing point is that this attitude has now spread further than just the clothes industry. Products such as washers or fridges and even bathroom showers and baths are generally thrown straight to landfill when broken or damaged. Generally a repair would be a much easier and more cost-effective job.
In many cases, people often evaluate the minimal cost of purchasing a new bathtub and do not even consider how they, and the environment, could be better off finding a bath repairs professional. Yet, after the old bath has been taken out and the new one acquired, it is only then that the home owner comes to factor in the expense of re-plumbing and re-tiling (jobs that can frequently cost a couple of thousand pounds), and by then it's far too late to go back and simply repair the original issue.
So what steps could we take to decrease the amount of rubbish we generate?
When it comes to large objects, like a washer or refrigerator, or a bath or sink, don't ever leap to the conclusion that when damaged or broken, you need to replace them. By and large, repairing the item will be a lot more cost-effective than changing it. And unquestionably better for the environment. And although it might seem as if mending something like a bathtub would be too costly or tricky to warrant, there are many of very skilled bath repairs professionals who can complete the job for a significantly lower fee than a replacement, and with final results which are practically invisible.
When it comes to smaller items, like clothes or food packaging, recycle everything you can. Although just chucking old goods in the rubbish bin is the easier solution, at the very least, recycling will help make you feel better about yourself.
If you want to contribute further still, avoid paying out for low-cost, low-quality clothes in the first place. Spending a little more for superior quality will be cheaper in the long run. Also steer clear of picking food covered in needless amounts of packaging. Whilst supermarkets are starting to do their bit to minimise packaging, they still have got a long way to go, and you can help by staying away from products that still demand work.
And while food shopping - carry your own bags. Plastic bags are among the biggest talking points in terms of rubbish and waste. It doesn't take much to invest in some high quality shopping bags, and as well as performing your bit for the environment, you'll also prevent the unavoidable split bag that from time-to-time, happens to even the best of us.
Lastly, just don't ever litter. Although littered streets are merely the start of the all round problem, soiled roads are frustrating to walk down, and entirely avoidable. So quite simply, place your trash in a bin, or if you can't find one, keep it until you do.
