Why Do We Produce So Much Rubbish?
It has been estimated that on average the modern household throws away one tonne of rubbish to landfill every year, and this figure is increasing every year. There are a number of reasons why modern societies produce so much rubbish and these include:
· Packaging – food hygiene regulations and the competitive nature of product advertising and placement has meant that in recent years food packaging has increased, and this combined with the greater reliance on convenience foods means that households now throw away more food packaging then ever before. Fortunately a large amount of this packaging is recyclable, so it can be processed and used again rather than just dumped in landfills.
· Affluence and Increasing Population – the average person is now much more well off than 50 years ago, and this means an overall greater consumption of not just food but all kinds of products from make up through to electrical equipment. This combined with the fact that the population is increasing around the world at a rapid rate all adds up to more rubbish for our household waste bins.
· Modern Materials – modern products are made from new materials that were not available in the pre-1950’s societies, and many of these new materials do not break down when they are put in ground, which is a less effective use of landfill space. Most of these new products such as polymers and plastics can be recycled and reused again though.
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