| Have you ever considered our disposable lifestyle, | | | | - It takes large amounts of chemical pollutants to |
| how many of the products we use everyday are | | | | create plastic, as well as significant amounts of |
| designed to be thrown out after as little as just | | | | fossil fuels |
| one use? Tissues, toweling paper, razors, coffee | | | | - Although biodegradable the paper industry also |
| cups, drink containers, food containers, nappies, | | | | contributes to air and water pollution, energy |
| tea bags, plastic shopping bags are all | | | | consumption, water consumption and |
| manufactured, packaged, transported and sold to | | | | deforestation |
| be used once and then discarded, sometimes | | | | When we look at the facts above it may be |
| within a matter of minutes. | | | | worthwhile considering an alternative to throw |
| And it doesn't stop there, nearly all consumer | | | | away and disposable items. Weigh up the very |
| products have a conceived limited lifetime. In a | | | | negative long lasting environmental impact of a |
| society that places so much value on the 'latest', | | | | disposable item's real lifespan against their |
| 'greatest', 'up to the minute' fashion and trends it | | | | designed use of a few minutes, days or months |
| is not surprising that we often find ourselves | | | | and an imbalanced picture begins to emerge. |
| throwing out or replacing many household and | | | | Yet, there are alternatives readily available and |
| lifestyle items year in year out. Computers, | | | | with a few changes in our habits and product |
| televisions, white-goods, clothes, shoes, cars, | | | | choices we can reduce the need and reliance on |
| home wares, furniture and so many gadgets and | | | | an unsustainable disposable lifestyle. |
| 'necessities' of everyday living are repackaged and | | | | To limit our dependency on disposable items and |
| re-released all the time, creating a false sense of | | | | our overall consumption and resulting waste; |
| obsolesce in the 'out dated' model. | | | | consider the following: |
| This didn't just happen, it was designed. | | | | - Use reusable items whenever possible this |
| Throwaway, breakable, disposable goods were | | | | includes reusable shopping bags, pens, lighters, |
| originally conceived after World War II as a way | | | | razors, food storage containers, refillable drink |
| of creating mass economic growth and we have | | | | bottles, coffee cups, washable dish cloths, cloth |
| embraced them for their convenience and | | | | napkins, hankies, nappies etc. And this doesn't |
| perceived necessity. | | | | necessarily mean going back to the days of old, |
| And you've got to hand it to them, this revolution | | | | there are new exciting reusable items available |
| in disposable goods certainly generated an | | | | from sustainable forward thinking companies for |
| economic boom but at what cost? | | | | nearly every item imaginable. |
| - The earth is being forced to try and digest an | | | | - Avoid the use of plastic wrap and disposable |
| ever growing amount of waste. Through landfill | | | | sandwich and freezer bags by investing in quality |
| and pollution we are drowning the planet in toxic | | | | glassware storage containers to refrigerate |
| waste that, in the case of plastics, can never be | | | | leftovers. |
| entirely broken down. | | | | - Always reduce, reuse and recycle and look for |
| - We are relying on cheap oil to manufacture and | | | | items made from recycled products or with |
| transport all these goods for our convenience and | | | | recycled packaging. Be inventive, any item that |
| immediacy but how much longer will this be an | | | | can be washed out and reused saves on waste |
| option? | | | | and consumption. |
| Consider the amount of garbage one household | | | | - Before replacing an item consider the option of |
| generates, how much of our trash is made up by | | | | repairing it or replacing it with a second hand item. |
| disposable, convenience items; plastic | | | | Is the need to replace it based on a conceived |
| toothbrushes, pens, lighters, batteries, containers, | | | | obsolescence? Can you make do with the item |
| cleaning cloths, oven trays, wrapping, packaging | | | | for a little longer? |
| and so much more. | | | | - Try not to be over influenced by fashion and |
| We need to consider the environmental impact of | | | | advertising. When it comes to clothing, foot ware |
| these items and weigh it up against their | | | | and gadgets consider the impact of your choices |
| convenience. | | | | before buying into fashion and fleeting trends. |
| - Plastic is non biodegradable which means after it | | | | We owe it to our planet and ourselves to escape |
| is thrown out it does not breakdown to a natural | | | | from this unnecessary throwaway lifestyle. Make |
| state and will more often than not end up as | | | | a simple change next time you are faced with the |
| pollution either in landfill or quite often in our | | | | option of disposable or reusable and see the |
| oceans and waterways | | | | difference. With a little imagination, creativity, |
| - When plastic waste is incinerated it creates toxic | | | | forethought and care we can move towards a |
| fumes that pollute our air and environment | | | | sustainable and positive future. |