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What Causes Throwaway Culture and How Can it be Combated. - Coggle Diagram
What Causes Throwaway Culture and How Can it be Combated.
Throwaway culture has been in part caused by poor economic conditions, especially among the middle class.
As economic conditions and culture shifts, more couples and families will see the need for dual incomes, and longer hours. The necessity of both adults working more and having less free time means that items are less likely to be repaired and more likely to be thrown away and purchased again.
One component of this is the lack of time to make repairs and practise maintenance.
Another component is loss of repair and maintenance skill.
Shifting cultural values means a loss in domestic or homesteading skills
The ever increasing of complexity of technology and manufacturing puts a technical limitation on home repair and maintenance
With worsening economic conditions comes the impetus to seek cheap manufacturing from beyond the country. This manufacturing makes it financially infeasible for domestic repair shops to stay in business.
This would contribute to why it is cheaper in many cases to buy new as opposed to repairing old
This would also contribute to their being less expertise which is locally available, and in some cases there is no reasonably available expertise to be had.
In worsening economic conditions, consumers are more likely to buy the cheapest options available. These options tend to wear out faster than mid or high grade options. The need to replace or repair these items then becomes more prevalent.
Clothes
Shoes
Furniture
Electronics
Throwaway culture can be combated by placing value on customization and symbolic meaning
We keep objects with deep personal and symbolic value.
Making objects out of more durable materials would allow them to be passed down throughout generations and would attach to them symbolic value.
Objects which are seen to fulfill a symbolic role, or to which an identity can be attached are more likely to be kept and maintained.
The more disposable objects that can be change into these types of symbolic objects the better for the environment.
Writing utensils and stationary
Grooming and shaving instruments
Cooking and eating utensils
An example would be the tools by which a person makes their living such as handtools
Individuals are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated to buy new and expensive objects in accordance with fads and trends.
If the object they purchase were made to be unique to them they would be less likely to throw them away.
Throwaway culture is in part, manufactured by corporations for the sake of profits
Designed to be difficult or impossible to repair
Fads and trends
Limited runs
Specialty marketing
Social media influencers
Planned Obsolescence
Incentives on reusable objects
Discounts on food or beverage
Punch ticket rewards
Inconveniences in using disposable items