Disposable Culture

I was cleaning out the kitchen and had a major dilemma. There was a tupperware of chicken that had been pushed to the back of the fridge for about six weeks. Do I just chuck the whole thing in the garbage or attempt to clean and salvage the tupperware? This wasn’t one of those gladware containers that is marketed to moms as “well, if your child loses this, you won’t really care because it probably costs less than the food inside”, but a legitimate, nice, thick plastic container.

My final verdict? I opened the container and gagged immediately. I still own the tupperware today.

Granted, I could have easily bought another of the same container for in the neighborhood of 5-10 bucks, but something about the material and mechanics of the thing actually made me want to save it from the trash heap.

We’re trying to solve the ramifications of disposable culture by making things so disposable they leave no trace...but what about making items and artifacts so desirable or valuable that a) they age well and b) they don’t end up in the landfill once they get a nick or two? In a recent manifesto, Platform 21 has hit it on the head.



The problem with making dryer sheets compostable, or making plastic easily recycled is that it demands a serious change in consumer habits, one that cannot necessarily be controlled by a product itself. I’m willing to bet that those biodegradable doggie bags usually end up inside a plastic bag on a hill of trash, and that those corn plastic cups still end up lining the streets.

Creating lasting artifacts, however, doesn’t put as much risk on whether or not the consumer feeling guilty and responsible on any given day. A consumer gets rid of something either when he or she breaks it, or gets tired of it. By making high quality things that age well, the consumer will either want to fix it or sell it (because it will actually still be worth something).

To date, you don’t find too many nice violins and guitars in the trash. Even the cheapest guitars typically get resold on ebay or craigslist. By focusing solely on making items that dissolve in heat and high pressure, we are often missing the point of design. We should be conscious on creating items that are desirable and do their jobs correctly. If it really needs to be disposed of after one use...shouldn’t that indicate that something is terribly wrong with it?