There are so many products that we use or have substituted today that just weren’t around generations ago. We might be thankful that these products make our lives easier and more convenient. But convenience might not really be behind these inventions after all.
There is good evidence to suggest that we’ve moved to a more throwaway society not so much for convenience but for the economy at large. After World War II, throwaway products were seen as a way to create new jobs and economic growth. Since throwaway products have to constantly be replaced, they have to constantly be made.
And while we take it for granted that we reach for a disposable tissue when we sneeze, or a paper towel when we have a spill, previous to that, people used handkerchiefs and dish towels.
Other throwaways may surprise you. Did you know, for example, that soft drinks came in refillable bottles. You had to bring your soda bottle back to the store or fountain instead of discarding it and buying another. Milk bottles, were refillable, too, of course.
Think of all of the other products that we throw away and what substitutes we can obtain instead. We can bring back dishtowel and handkerchiefs, of course, but some things are harder to find. Out in Lancaster, you can get homemade root beer in refillable bottles, but good luck finding a commercial brand. Some countries, such as India still sell some soda that is meant to be consumed right in the store or stand from refillable bottles, but even here, the throwaways are starting to take over.
Beside the issue of all of these throwaway products winding up in landfills, there is the fact that we are running out of oil that is used to make and transport all of these products. The amount of throwaways that contain some form of petroleum is staggering.