Do you think life seems more meaningful when we step away from throwaway, consumption-crazed culture?
A recent New York Times piece, Throwaway Plastic Has Corrupted Us, got me thinking.
Cheap, versatile plastics made throwaway culture explode, fueling overconsumption and turbocharging corporate profits…
The social costs of our addiction to disposable plastics are… subtle but significant. Cooking skills have declined. Sit-down family meals are less common. Fast fashion, enabled by synthetic plastic fibers, is encouraging compulsive consumption and waste.
We see disposability impacting so many parts of our everyday lives, from what we eat and drink, to what we wear, to what we buy and more.
So, how might our experiences become better and more meaningful when we ditch that throwaway culture? We’d see people curating a personal sense of style rather than cookie cutter fast fashion and microtrends. We’d cherish and pass down quality things that we own rather than dealing with planned obsolescence and cheap products. We’d build community in a shared economy (like Buy Nothing Groups), and share our skills with others (like at repair fairs). And yes, while convenience can be nice, isn’t there something about slowing down and really connecting with ourselves, our communities, our experiences, that feels especially meaningful?
Here’s to more joy and less junk!
That NYT opinion piece was written by Saabira Chaudhuri, a London-based journalist and author of a new book, Consumed – How Big Brand Got Us Hooked on Plastic (Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or ask your local bookstore). Chaudhuri tells the story of how chemical and consumer goods companies deployed cutting edge technology, behavioral psychology and multi billion dollar marketing machines to steer us towards ultra-profitable disposable products—profoundly shaping our everyday behavior in ways that are taking a toll on the planet, and increasingly our health.
Plus, we’re excited to partner with Saabira on our upcoming video—stay tuned.
