Throw-away society

It is now common to see people purchase things, for example cell phones and clothes, and only use them for a short period. A number of factors contribute to this throwaway culture and this leads to a range of dire consequences, which will be outlined in the essay below.

One main reason for the modern throwaway culture is that society is greatly affected by consumerism that encourages the mass  production of short-lived goods and the consumption of those goods. The market is also flooded with cheap, single-use products, making it easier to buy things in large quantities and dispose of them even before they become unusable. Another point to consider here is that the purpose for which we buy and use consumer products has changed over the past decades. For example, we no longer wait until our clothes wear out to make new purchases; instead, our decisions to buy new clothes are heavily influenced by a number of other incentives, be it better appearances or new fashion patterns.

This practice inflicts severe damage on the environment. Products constantly ending up in trash bins will cause landfills to become overloaded with massive piles of garbage, only a small proportion of which is disposed of properly to avoid harm to the environment. The rest of the garbage, usually non-recyclable and plastic items, is either buried underground or burnt. This can increase air and land pollution levels, and directly harm the lives of people living in the throwaway society. Furthermore, natural resources that fuel the manufacturing of consumer products can be depleted due to the market’s nonstop demand for those commodities.

In conclusion, a throwaway culture which wreaks devastation on our environment and depletes our natural resources is formed largely by modern consumerism. (290 words)

Vocabulary

• Dire consequences (n)
• Consumerism
• The mass production of something
• Unsuable (adj)
• Make new purchases (phr)
• Dispose of something
• Non-recyclable (adj)
• Nonstop demand for something