Throw Away the Impacts of Throw Away Society
History of Throw Away Society
Throwaway Living. Photo by Time Magazine.
At a litter cleanup, it is not uncommon to find items like plastic straws, fast food containers, plastic bottles, aluminum cans. A commonality between all these items is that they were designed to be used once and then thrown away. They are cheap and not durable, meant to be disposed of as opposed to being used time and time again. These items make up the larger throw away society, which is the normalization of disposing of something after a single use.
Throw away society boomed after World War II ended in 1945. After years of rationing, thrifting, and doing without, American society enjoyed the increased consumerism that came with the mass production and wide availability of goods in the postwar years. Plastic, a revolutionary new product, was cheap and marketed as a disposable product. The term "throw away society" first appeared in an issue of Life Magazine in 1955 to indicate a positive new lifestyle marketed as reducing work around the house. Instead of spending hours cleaning dishes, utensils, and rags, simply throw them away. This idea was incredibly popular, so much so that it is the norm many of us grew up with.
Food Waste
Unsurprisingly, the prevalence of throw away society has resulted in a significant increase in trash. Constantly getting rid of or replacing what we have to make way for new things clutters our homes, fills up our landfills, and lines our roadways and waterways with unwanted trash. Food is a significant item that is thrown away to an unnecessary degree. Households in the US waste a total of 76 billion pounds of food a year in the US, whether that is because the food expires or because there is an over preparation of food so that it can’t all be eaten. These numbers are even starker considering that one in eight families in the United States don’t have access to consistent food. Often, instead of saving our leftovers, we throw them away, knowing they won’t be as tasty once they’re reheated. Or, we don’t eat or preserve perishable food like fruits or vegetables in a timely enough manner, leading them to rot. In a country where many communities struggle with food disparity, it is irresponsible to be so wasteful with food.
The Prevalence of Planned Obsolescence
One of the ways in which companies ensure that this constant stream of consuming goods is maintained is through planned obsolescence. Planned obsolescence is when a product is designed with the intention of breaking or needing to be replaced in a few years. While many people would be familiar with planned obsolescence because of their smart phones (Apple was fined $27 million in 2020 for slowing down older phones through mandatory operating system updates), the practice dates back to the 1920s when a General Motors executive suggested rolling out new models each year to keep sales moving. The practice is also maintained in fast fashion in which new styles are constantly rolled out, encouraging the consumer to purchase new clothing to keep up with the latest trends.
Planned Obsolescence cartoon. Photo by Marketoonist.
The good news is that some headway is being made in regulating planned obsolescence. Last November in the European Union, Parliament adopted a position of a stronger “right to repair” for consumers. Right to repair requires manufacturers to provide owners and independent repair businesses with fair access to service information and affordable replacement parts. Right to repair laws have passed recently in California, Oregon, Minnesota, New York, and Colorado. Tennessee isn’t left out though – there are currently bills on the table to make repairs of farm equipment and wheelchairs more accessible and affordable.
How to reduce impacts of throw away society?
Throw away society might be an established cornerstone of American culture, and while significant structural change must come from the corporations that design, build, and sell the products consumers purchase, there are also ways in which individuals can advocate for change.
Advocate for consumer protections.
Repair what you already have
Use what you already have
Limit the purchase of unnecessary items that will just end up in the trash