People are now living in a throwaway society where things are used for a short period of time and then thrown away What are the causes of this and what problems does it cause

The short term use and subsequent disposal of items is becoming increasingly characteristic of today’s society. This is mainly caused by consumerism, that is, an economic structure based on rapid, repeated purchases, a plethora of options, as well as poorer build quality of items. This causes many problems, such as different types of pollution, as well as a waste of financial and natural resources.

There are three main causes of today’s throwaway society, namely, the consumerism based economy, low quality materials, as well as an ever-increasing number of options. These are al interconnected, hence causing a vicious cycle. A sizeable chunk of a lot of national economies depends on rapid repurchasing of items in many industries, for example, the fashion industry. There are new trends emerging almost weekly, due to the advent of social media. Major fashion brands are quick to meet the supply for this fleeting but extremely high demand, subsequently flooding the market with options. They use materials of inferior quality, in order to keep the prices competitive and affordable. Thus, people are unable to use the items for long, and must dispose of them. Another example of this is the smartphone industry, with new and marginally improved models of phones released constantly, making previous versions obsolete.

This rapid cycle of purchase and disposal has severely impacted the environment in a variety of ways – from inadequate disposal of waste, to the depletion of finite resources. The sheer volume of products that are thrown away everyday and need to be eliminated or recycled are staggering. The majority of the materials utilized in fashion trends or electronic devices are non-biodegradable, and often, toxic. As a result, they pollute the earth and soil. For example, in vast areas of Cambodia, non-recylclable waste materials are dumped, which has rendered the soil toxic, and the previously clean water undrinkable. Another major cause for concern is the wastage of raw materials – rampant deforestation for the use of different tree byproducts has caused major air pollutions, with scientists fearing that it is almost catastrophic and irreversible. The air pollution further leads to major health concerns.

To recapitulate, the current throwaway society is caused by a higher than ever before number of options, poor quality of materials used and ever evolving trends and updates. This causes major environmental damage in the form of increasingly dangerous land, air and water pollution.