1. What are the sources of waste that society produces?
Nowadays, people all over the world create an excess of garbage. We are very wasteful. We are obsessed with new things, and are constantly creating more and more waste without good ways of disposing it. We like to live easy and not worry about the consequences or the effects we have on the world. There is a constant use of energy, increasing construction, and continual production. We leave water running, leave lights on, and prefer the convenience of having our own cars rather than riding a bike or using public transportation.
2. Compare how waste is disposed of today and how it used to be disposed of many years ago.
In the past the human need was less; it was just food, water, and clothing. People would just need to raise crops and animals to supply their basic necessities. Nowadays our needs are exponentially greater. We need electricity for our TV and internet, and oil for our cars to get to jobs for companies that create more wasteful products that we don’t need. We get bored easier today and need more entertainment. Family traditions and natural activities have been replaced by television, movies, fast cars, and dance clubs.
3. Do you think old people produce as much waste as young people?
Older householders throw away much less than households of young singles or young parents. This could mean either that as people become older they waste less, or that people who are now old grew up in a thriftier era and have maintained that attitude. Young people nowadays think that what they own dictates their personality, so they are buying and wasting more every day. Undoubtedly, attitudes to consuming have changed greatly in recent decades, suggesting that young wasters today will turn into old wasters tomorrow.
4. Do you think that advertising leads to the production of more garbage in society?
The marketing industry is devoted to persuading us to buy things we don’t need—and often to buy things we don’t want. We are made to believe that if we have all the new designer products, we will be more popular and loved. So we are spending money we don’t have to buy goods we don’t need to impress people we don’t like. And it is not just the marketing industry: it is the entire economic and political system that conspires to get us to buy more and more. Our governments tell us that if we spend more, it is patriotic and it advances our economy.
