Why is this happening?
There is no one reason for why we produce so much "stuff."
However, the answers tend to be based on the qualities, trends
and nature of the evolving culture we live in. All the factors
cited in this section contribute to waste generation.
Demographic Profile
Waste generation is a function of social demographics and economic
factors that are unique to each society. In the Puget Sound Georgia
Basin, we have comparatively higher income profiles, in part spurred
by aerospace engineering, tourism, biotechnology, and computer
and internet technologies.
Changes in Family Size and Work Patterns
For 20 years, household size has steadily decreased, with smaller
numbers of people sharing living space. There is some evidence
that smaller households produce more waste than larger households.6
We can infer that less time, and the perception of less time,
has led to the increased use of convenience products, many of
which have one-time applications and are not recyclable. Less
time is also associated with greater frequency of eating meals
outside the home and restaurants create more waste per meal than
households typically do.7
Increase in Marketing Convenience Products
As income has fallen relative to inflation, many more people
are working longer hours and multiple jobs. Accordingly, there
is less time to clean homes and take care of household matters,
which has led companies to market "convenience" products
that are intended for one-time-use and then thrown away. Although
indeed convenient, this trend has led to the design, manufacture,
marketing and use of increased amounts of products that result
in non-recyclable garbage.
Focus on Recycling versus Reduction
As
a result of the early focus on recycling in terms of curb-side
collection, many consumers believe that all they have to do to
be environmentally responsible is to set their recyclables out
at the curb or take them to a depot. Aside from the common belief
that collection equals recycling, this belief has often been abused
by examples of collected recyclable materials disposed as garbage,
and the fact that consumers are not challenged to undertake the
lifestyle changes necessary for solid waste reduction and reuse.
The Basis of Our Economy
Because our economy is based on the gross domestic product (GDP),
we measure our economic and financial market status on the linear
units of goods and services sold. This creates a perverse incentive
to produce materials goods for which there may be no demand.8
Technology and Gadgets Increase Paper Use and Electronic Junk
Many products
are not manufactured with repair, reuse or long life in mind.
Most of the time it is less expensive to dispose of old electronics
and buy new ones as opposed to repairing the outdated or broken
products These electronic products contain toxic substances such
as mercury, cadmium and lead and are often shipped to other nations
for disassembly.9
Contrary to popular belief, more paper has been generated from
electronic product use. Manufacturers often assert that consumers
are driving the market because they want cheaper products, which
in turn means lower quality. However, higher-quality products
have longer lives, and therefore cost less for the consumer in
the long run.
Solid
Waste and Recycling