The proliferation of single use products is a major concern for all countries. In my opinion, the main cause of this is increased disposable income coupled with advances in technology and the main result of this trend is environmental degradation.
The rise of single or limited use products comes from new technologies and people’s ability to afford these items. A hundred years ago, it would not have been possible to cheaply produce plastic products on a mass scale. The technological advances of the last hundred years have made these products profitable for large companies like Walmart. Of course the advances in technology have only met demand from a burgeoning global middle class. People today do not have to use the same plates, dishes, and bags that previous generations would have been more protective of; nowadays people can afford to buy and throw out various household items.
The main result of the overdependence on single use products is burning more fossil fuels which in turn escalates climate change. Cheap plastic is made through a chemical process involving raw oil and is then transported on ships or planes running on petrol before being carted on trucks to supermarkets. The total accumulation of fossil fuel consumption is therefore massive. In the last half century this has precipitated climate change leading to increases in the severity of natural disasters, further endangerment of plant and animal species and dire warnings by climate scientists for the standard of living of future generations.
In conclusion, the so-called ‘throwaway society’ is a result of economic and technological factors and is taking a massive toll on the environment. More governments should seek to curb this problem by instituting wide-reaching bans on single-use plastics like straws and bags.