Buy It, Throw It Away, Buy More

This morning, I cleaned out a bedroom closet, unearthing an array of toys that my almost-12-year-old granddaughter no longer enjoys. I’ve been on a winning streak for a few weeks now, going through my STUFF and pitching or recycling whatever I can. It feels good and at the same time it feels bad.

How did a seventy-year-old grandma acquire so much in such a short period of time and why is so much of it made from plastic?

Roughly sixteen years ago, I retired from my career as a public school educator, sold 98% of my worldly belongings, and traveled the world for four years. Yep! we sold our house, our cars, and 98% of everything we owned at the time. We were left with roughly fifteen boxes which we shipped to my mother-in-law’s house for safekeeping. And, it felt GREAT!

It was like being sixteen again but with money.

At the time, I swore that I’d never acquire so much STUFF again. Sixteen years later, although I still have less than I did, I definitely have more than I need or want. It amazes me. How did this happen?

What bothers me even more is how much of my STUFF is made from plastic.

As consumers go, I’ve never been very materialistic. We own one small, used car which certainly isn’t on the road a lot and a mid size house built in the early 70s. Most of my friends think of my house as seriously uncluttered, but I still have too much stuff. I know I have too much stuff. I know that I ignore my golden rule of “if you don’t use it, lose it.” I know how much better I feel when I’m living light. Yet, I’m still throwing away plastic shit like the very people that I look down upon.

Why does this bother me so much, you might ask?

There are a lot of reasons that I’m bothered by STUFF invading my life not the least of which is that I’m fully aware that Americans are some of the biggest trash makers on the planet.

Yep! We’re winning big time.

So much so that we ship our trash to other countries. Ain’t that sweet? Additionally, we hire slave labor in poorer countries to pollute their own lands while dedicating themselves to producing cheap plastic junk for our enjoyment. We can’t get enough of it. We need these countries to sacrifice their people and the environment so that we can continue to be major consumers in the world.

Now to be fair, there are roughly 80 countries in the world that consume more than their fair share of the entire world’s natural resources.

In fact, if every country in the world were to consume what these eighty countries consumed, we’d need multiple earths, some say as many as eight, to provide enough natural resources to sustain the world’s insatiable hunger for STUFF. Yet, we only have one planet. So clearly, it wouldn’t be beneficial to our economy if poorer countries that slave away making our STUFF were to suddenly raise their own standard of living and join us in our consumption fest.

Clearly, it benefits us to keep them poor and desperate.

Between overpopulation and overconsumption, humans don’t stand a chance. If we aren’t able to come up with a plan that involves decreasing both our exploding future world population and reducing our consumption, we’re in deep trouble. Yet, we seem determined to increase lifespans while still having babies. To complicate matters even more, the American Dream is predicated upon having it all, so consumerism is part of our psyche. Something has got to give, folks.

We’re all guilty.

The eighty richest countries in the world are hellbent on having it all without a plan to deal with the consequences. The US is actually proud of its standing in the world. Look at us. We are prize-winning consumers. The rest of the world is at our beck and call, working to provide us with what we want and we want it ALL.

At the very least, you’d think we could get rid of plastic.

Have you ever tried to find a specific plastic product made from something other than plastic? It’s not an easy task. Even the food we buy is often wrapped, boxed, or ensconced is some kind of plastic.

We have our work cut our for us, don’t we?

I thought I was on a roll this morning, cleaning out closets and planning a trip to Good Will, but my success soon triggered a feeling of guilt. I’m worried about climate change, pollution, overpopulation, and overconsumption, but in spite of my good intentions, I’m stuck in an economy and culture that makes it really easy to enjoy my benefits without accepting the responsibilities that come with it. Furthermore, those in positions of power seem unwilling, unable, or unprepared to come up with a collective plan that would move us in a different direction.

It’s a rich country’s quandary, ain’t it?

Teresa Roberts is a retired educator, world traveler, author, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.