Society & Politics

Humans are a Materialistic and Wasteful Species: Aiming for Change

Disclaimer**: I am guilty of many of the opinions I share within this myTake, but I appreciate that in order to build a sustainable society, things need to change.

Materialistic Gains of Society

There are countless ads advocating for the use of stainless steel or reusable water bottles, yet people continue to buy packages of 24 water bottles, then toss these in the recycling or on the ground when they're done. How many times have you seen food from a café or restaurant, barely a day old or that of a patron unable to finish their whole meal, being tossed into the garbage. New cars are replaced on average every 5 years, while a new phone is replaced in an even shorter period of time. To look good around our friends and family, we desire the most up-to-date, cutting edge technology, driving us to replace our goods frequently. Clothing is worn barely a year, fits the fashion of the time, and is replaced easily, with some people having over 300 different articles of clothing.

With a world population of over 7 billion people and the ease by which every individual can toss used items, we end up with disgusting images such as these:

Humans are a Materialistic and Wasteful Species: Aiming for Change

Is it not sick to see a man canoeing out in a lake full of garbage? Think about how clean our lakes are in North America before taking for granted how good we have it.
Is it not sick to see a man canoeing out in a lake full of garbage? Think about how clean our lakes are in North America before taking for granted how good we have it.

Garbage litters many of the worlds beaches, often in images the public doesn't want you to see.
Garbage litters many of the worlds beaches, often in images the public doesn't want you to see.

By tossing used items, we unnecessarily convolute the landfills and the oceans. These items are not biodegradable, and sit for years, entirely intact. Mounds of garbage float across the world's oceans, eaten by the marine wildlife, tangling their innards and killing masses. Landfills are unsightly, and essentially taint the area with such things as oils or batteries that make the area undevelopable in the near future. Then, you end up with situations like in the Brazil Olympics, where their country was forced to clean up the waterways and grounds just to save face in the public eye. Because "easy come, easy go", garbage is tossed and littered on the ground.

Sometimes people shop to reallocate some of their worries or stressors into material things, such as the act of shopping, or in the items they're buying.
Sometimes people shop to reallocate some of their worries or stressors into material things, such as the act of shopping, or in the items they're buying.

The materialistic notion of society becomes one of gratification, always seeking to buy something more for that additional sense of gratification that item may bring. Our society works on markets, and supply and demand. When there is demand, companies make more of those items to meet demand, and this only works if people are continuously buying. People buy because it feels good. It feels good to go out to the store and buy something new, and then post it on social media to gather likes, which only perpetuates the cycle of self-gratification. This "look at what I just bought" attitude. And because it feels good, we continue to buy something new frequently, and then we toss it when it no longer serves our purposes or desires.

Breaking the Chain

Please note**not in the position to change people's behaviours, only to put my opinions out there through this myTake.

To break this cycle, it becomes important to think about only the things that are truly essential, rather than those that bring gratification. Consider for a moment what it would be like to not have that tv in your living room, or the 3 vehicles sitting in your driveway, or access to that fresh water that can be stored in those 24 pack of bottles. Imagine yourself in a situation where you truly only have the things necessary to survive, and need to appreciate every little thing. Think about what goes into manufacturing a 24 pack of water bottles, and then what happens when you toss it out and whether you could have just got by with a reusable stainless steel bottle. Do we really want to create a society that can't appreciate the small things in life; one that gets bored easily and is always looking for the next pleasurable moment, or the next replacement?

We all need to pitch in to create a more sustainable society
We all need to pitch in to create a more sustainable society

For a society to flourish and create minimal waste, everyone has a large part to play and need to work together. Take a moment to think before you toss that next coffee cup or plastic bag out your window. Consider purchasing a reusable stainless steel water bottle, or a reusable grocery bag that you can bring every time you go to the store. Try to get as much out of your car, television, or phone rather than buying a new one just to feel good or fit in with your friend group. Tell yourself "I'm going to pick up one piece of garbage a day", and maybe this can bring some form of gratification in itself. I encourage you to consider the value in everything you decide to purchase, and never take anything in this life for granted.

~JC

Humans are a Materialistic and Wasteful Species: Aiming for Change
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