How We Became A Throw-Away Society Analysis
Rose Norton
Sociology 150
Professor Colmenero-Chilberg
21 April 2012 How We Became a Throw-away Society To throw away something means to get rid of something, to dispose of something that you do not need or want. It means that you do not keep something. Everyday we throw things away, things such as candy wrappers after we have eaten the candy or Styrofoam cups after we have drank our coffee. Or, we might throw something away which is broken and cannot be repaired. (Helium) So, what does a throw away society mean? Well, id does not mean that we throw the society away, as if it were waste paper. Instead, it describes a society in which people do not keep things for very …show more content…
This shift not only threatens to lead us to an environmental catastrophe, but also the destruction of our society. According to E. A. Zimmerman, in his article “How We Became a Throw-away Society” he says that: “Planned obsolescence” is not a myth. It is a manufacturing philosophy developed in the 1920’s and 1930’s, when mass production became popular. The goal is to make a product or part that will fail, or become less desirable over time or after a certain amount of use. This puts pressure on the consumer to buy again. Advertising trains consumers to want what is new and improved. It convinces them that the more they have, the happier the will be.” (Zimmerman)
Supporting Zimmerman’s claim is Vance Packard, author of The Waste Makers. In a book
The Waste Makers, Packard states that “planned obsolescence” (Packard) is “the systematic attempt of business to make us wasteful, debt-ridden, permanently discontented individuals”
(Packard) and his claim seems to be more accurate as time goes …show more content…
There is some debate over which is more harmful to the environment, the cloth or disposable; but I am convinced that the use of small amounts of washing water and biodegradable soap is both cheaper and more environmentally responsible than the disposables degrading and polluting ground water for generations to come Another example of our throw-away mentality is in the area of bottled water and soda pop container disposal. In the article called “Plastic Bottle Facts,” Reesa Potash claims that while “The bottle-water industry has done an excellent job of convincing consumers that bottled water is pure and healthier than tap,” the truth is that: Disposable plastic bottles (polyethylene terephthalate-PET) used for soft drinks and water, and molded-type plastic bottles (high density polyethylene-HDPE) used for milk, detergents and motor oils have become an environmental concern. Reusable plastic bottles (polycarbonate) used primarily for sports bottles and baby bottles have been cited for potential health-safety concerns. (Potash) Norton
Sociology 150
Professor Colmenero-Chilberg
21 April 2012 How We Became a Throw-away Society To throw away something means to get rid of something, to dispose of something that you do not need or want. It means that you do not keep something. Everyday we throw things away, things such as candy wrappers after we have eaten the candy or Styrofoam cups after we have drank our coffee. Or, we might throw something away which is broken and cannot be repaired. (Helium) So, what does a throw away society mean? Well, id does not mean that we throw the society away, as if it were waste paper. Instead, it describes a society in which people do not keep things for very …show more content…
This shift not only threatens to lead us to an environmental catastrophe, but also the destruction of our society. According to E. A. Zimmerman, in his article “How We Became a Throw-away Society” he says that: “Planned obsolescence” is not a myth. It is a manufacturing philosophy developed in the 1920’s and 1930’s, when mass production became popular. The goal is to make a product or part that will fail, or become less desirable over time or after a certain amount of use. This puts pressure on the consumer to buy again. Advertising trains consumers to want what is new and improved. It convinces them that the more they have, the happier the will be.” (Zimmerman)
Supporting Zimmerman’s claim is Vance Packard, author of The Waste Makers. In a book
The Waste Makers, Packard states that “planned obsolescence” (Packard) is “the systematic attempt of business to make us wasteful, debt-ridden, permanently discontented individuals”
(Packard) and his claim seems to be more accurate as time goes …show more content…
There is some debate over which is more harmful to the environment, the cloth or disposable; but I am convinced that the use of small amounts of washing water and biodegradable soap is both cheaper and more environmentally responsible than the disposables degrading and polluting ground water for generations to come Another example of our throw-away mentality is in the area of bottled water and soda pop container disposal. In the article called “Plastic Bottle Facts,” Reesa Potash claims that while “The bottle-water industry has done an excellent job of convincing consumers that bottled water is pure and healthier than tap,” the truth is that: Disposable plastic bottles (polyethylene terephthalate-PET) used for soft drinks and water, and molded-type plastic bottles (high density polyethylene-HDPE) used for milk, detergents and motor oils have become an environmental concern. Reusable plastic bottles (polycarbonate) used primarily for sports bottles and baby bottles have been cited for potential health-safety concerns. (Potash) Norton