Our Relationship With Waste
How does our relationship to waste define not only what we use and what we discard but also ourselves? In tackling this question, consider how humanities disciplines can contribute to re-imagining society’s relationship to waste.
As a species, we create an ‘excess of 2 billion tonnes of waste per year’ (Crome, 2022:online). From this figure, it is clear that our relationship and feelings about waste are detached, and perhaps, we don’t consciously think about how much waste we produce. In this essay, I aim to explore what waste means to us as humans and, thus, how we are perceived through our wastage. As a human race, we are currently recycling our products, using environmentally friendly methods such as cruelty-free testing and sustainable packaging; and engaging in climate change protests. Therefore, I will discuss waste as a concept and how our current actions can contribute to a destructive or innovative society, thus improving or worsening our relationship with waste.
The definitions of waste are complex and can be both literal and metaphorical. Some say to waste is to ‘use or expend carelessly’ (Google, no date:online), that waste is ‘unwanted or unusable [materials]’ (Google, no date:online); that are ‘eliminated or discarded’ (Google, no date:online) because they are of no use to us. Looking at waste from a philosophical approach, waste can seem more personal. From John Scanlan’s perspective, waste is what is no longer of use to us; what is someone’s ‘weeds, is another person’s flower’ (Crome, 2022:online). Using this analogy, we can look at this in relation to sustainable processes that have been put in place. For example, you may take your unwanted clothes to charity, and those clothes may end up in someone else’s wardrobe, giving them purpose again. Here, we are throwing away goods because we no longer want them and because we think they will be enjoyed by others. This approach to waste suggests that we live in a society where people create waste because they believe it will eventually benefit others; it shows a caring society.
Yet, we can also waste time, effort, and affection on activities or others. This is interesting as we are likely to make this same mistake again- waste time on something out of habit or because we cannot refrain ourselves from doing so; and as a result, we repeat the process of wasting goods. For example, if you look at the introduction of vapes, specifically disposable vapes in ‘2003’ (JOTV, 2022:online), overall ‘vaping was a very minor activity in the UK’ (Whittaker, 2021:online). Now, we can see a recent increase in the popularity of vaping. So, the question is, why don’t those who use e-cigarettes go for disposable vapes instead of refillable ones? Well, what puts disposable vapes in first place is money, convenience, and appeal. Newbies can ‘enjoy the vaping experience without […] commitment’ (JOTV, 2022:online) and can share ‘different flavours’ (JOTV, 2022:online) with friends. Through our waste, there is this idea of personal gain and desire for popularity; this repeated process of wasting vapes, for example, helps to drive social interactions and make people feel relatable and trendy.
It could be said that a lot of retail companies are to blame for our arrogance towards waste. In her article ‘Awarding winning author and journalist’ (Pluto Press, no date:online) Hoskins, talks about the shoe industry and how consumerism is affecting both us and our environment. She references the famous Sneaker-Con event, where they showcase trainers for the public to buy. When talking to wife, Helen, she talks about how Luke’s collection of trainers is ‘[invading] her bedroom’ (Hoskins, 2020:online) and how it creates this ‘tension’ (Hoskins, 2020:online) between her and her husband Luke. We allow waste to pile up in our kitchen bins to the point where we debate about who is going to take the rubbish out, which can cause confrontation. In a similar way, Helen and Luke face disagreements about the purchases of endless shoes, which suggests that our attachment to excess waste (piles of shoes) is putting pressure on our relationships with others and maybe, even putting them at risk. So, you could say that some of us, such as hoarders, shopaholics, and collectors, are protective of waste.
Similarly, there is a threat to our relationship with ourselves. In the article, Luke explains that ‘no one is buying Jordans’ (Hoskins, 2020:online). In our current society, especially ‘in the global marketplace, labels have come to mean everything’ (Hoskins 2020). We rely on brand labels to make us appear expensive or cool, and in turn, they have become a tool that allows us to shape our identities and create new identities whenever we please. Perhaps there is this fear that we all share that we will lose our sense of self, and therefore we create new waste in order to preserve our identity.
There is another component to our wastage. You may have recycled and contributed to social change, yet recycling can also be a cause of environmental downfall. It’s not just what we do with our waste that matters, but it’s important to think about where our waste goes after we’ve removed it from our homes. When our rubbish is loaded, it is taken to landfills. Some of the materials decay. Other materials, such as plastic and tin cans, take years to decompose; shoe souls ‘last 1,000 years in landfill’ (Hoskins, 2020:online). The waste that ends up in these landfills affects tourism, businesses, and communities. For example, children in Appalachia (in the Eastern United States) are living alongside ‘some of the largest coal-fired power plants in the country’ (Morrone and Buckley, 2011), leaving many people concerned about their health. What is striking here is the ripple effects and how this approach actually creates employment. Businesses will set up these systems in ‘rural regions’ (Morrone and Buckley, 2011) and take advantage of the poverty struggle; these companies know that ‘there is a labor force that is willing to take almost any good-paying job that comes along despite the risks’ (Morrone and Buckley, 2011). All concern for people’s welfare goes out the window because it benefits them. The ‘land is cheap’ (Morrone and Buckley, 2011), and there are ‘tax incentives’ (Morrone and Buckley 2011) that attract businesses to the areas that are most vulnerable.
In addition, there is a link between locations, waste, and properties. Contextually, the rent in South Manchester is ‘constantly inflated’ (Ridehalgh and Parker, 1991) due to high demand. Towards the suburbs, ‘rents are even higher than the city centre’ (Ridehalgh and Parker, 1991). So why is the rent higher? If we look at Figures 1 and 2, it is clear that a lot of rubbish is abandoned in the Rusholme, Fallowfield, and Moss side areas- the lower-class areas. In comparison, if we look at Figure 3, it seems that less waste fills the streets of the central areas of Manchester, which implies, that the popular and litter-free areas (which bring in money for tourism) are the council’s main priority. For example, Corby (located in the East Midlands) is ‘becoming a dumping [ground] for waste’ (Willis, 2019:online). This is due to residents being part of ‘the most disadvantaged social class in Britain’ (Willis, 2019:online). This suggests a significant link between waste and class. Perhaps we disregard the areas populated with waste because we feel disgusted by waste or even embarrassed by what we have created. As a result, the lack of industrial development in these areas suffers because of these premeditated views. These properties are built and sold, and although they may serve a purpose, they face the greater risk of becoming vacant and becoming waste due to lack of publicity or businesses going into administration.
Currently, environmentalists are working continuously to reduce our wastage and trying to encourage and get us actively thinking about moving towards an environmentally friendly future. There are ‘three common pillars of sustainability: Social (people), Environmental (planet) and Economic (profit)’ (GWP, no date:online). Sustainable packaging has been integrated into our society since 2006 (GWP, no date:online) and ‘74% of consumers [said] they would pay more for products that were contained this way (Swiftpak, 2022:online). Yet, we are still attending protests to adhere to the minds of the minority who do not believe that climate change is their problem; and some environmentalists, such as artists, have a different approach to these anomalies. ‘Through art, they are expressing their despair and making a statement of the current culture’ (Cause Artist, no date). Despite others trying to reduce our wastage, others are using it to their advantage. Artists such ‘Tim Noble and Sue Webster’ (Noble and Webster, 1982:online) have created portraits and sculptures about waste. This implies that some people see waste as art, and without waste, perhaps others wouldn’t be inspired to be creative. Lisa Taggart explains that with this new ideology, she now has to ‘ask [herself]: is this really trash? Or could it be art?’ (Taggart, 2006)
To conclude, I believe that our society is slowly progressing towards a world in which we can use waste to our advantage and see it as a tool rather than a burden. As a human race, we ‘[base our] value on symbolism, rather than usability’ (Hoskins, 2020:online). The responsibility lies with the companies that are indirectly promoting waste through advertising new products. But it also lies with us, and in order to live in a zero-waste society (Pietzsch and Ribeiro and Medeiros, 2017), or something close to it, we must realise ‘that there is [a] satisfaction to be found within the things we already have’ (Hoskins, 2020:online). We must educate ourselves and re-learn the definition of waste. Companies such as Nike ‘launched a Space Hippie Shoe [where] ‘parts […were] made of factory waste’ (Hoskins, 2020:online). These companies ‘have the capacity to produce […] shoes that are designed to last’ (Hoskins, 2020:online). But in order to revolutionise waste, it must be seen as a necessity, not a trend.
Bibliography
References from Articles and Books
Morrone, M and Buckley, L, G. (2011) ‘Mountains of Injustice. Social and Environmental Justice in Appalachia.’ 1st ed., Athens: Ohio University Press.
Pietzsch, N and Ribeiro, D, L, J and Medeiros, D, F, J. (2017) ‘Benefits, challenges and critical factors of success for Zero Waste: A systematic literature review’. Waste Management, 67, May, pp. 324–353.
Ridehalgh, D and Parker M. (1991) Raw Guide to Greater Manchester. United Kingdom: Impact Books Ltd.
Taggart, L. (2006) ‘Waste- not art.’ Sunset, 216(1) pp. 1–35.
References from Images
Figure 1: Rubbish on Moss Side (Source: [adapted from] Moss Side Story, 2021:online)
Figure 2: Rubbish in Manchester Parks (Source: [adapted from] Manchester Evening News, 2021:online)
Figure 3: Manchester City Centre Streets (Source: [adapted from] FM Business Daily, 2022:online)
References from Webpages
Blakey, A. (2021) Disgust as mountains of rubbish left in Manchester parks and squares as thousands flock outside. Manchester Evening News. [Online] [Accessed on 23rd August 2022] https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/disgust- mountains-rubbish-left-manchester-20291922
Cause Artist. (no date) 13 Incredible Artivists Using Recycled Materials in Their Art. [Online] [Accessed on 19th July 2022] https://causeartist.com/incredible-recycled-art-materials-creations/
FMBD. (2022) Manchester city centre tops retail and leisure ranking out of 9,000 retail and leisure markets nationwide. FM Business Daily. [Online] [Accessed on 23rd August 2022] https://news.fmbusinessdaily.com/2022/05/manchester-city-centre-tops-retail-and-leisure- ranking-out-of-9000-retail-and-leisure-markets-nationwide/
GWP Group. (no date) Sustainable Packaging. GWP Group. [Online] [Accessed on 21st August 2022] https://www.gwp.co.uk/advantages/sustainable-packaging/
Hoskins, E, T. (2020) Weekend Magazine Fashion Special S/S 2020 Fashion. ‘Some soles last 1,000 years in landfill’: the truth about the sneaker mountain’. The Guardian. [Online] [Accessed on 20th July 2022] https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/mar/21/some-soles- last-1000-years-in-landfill-the-truth-about-the-sneaker-mountain
Jump on the Vape. (2022) The Rise of The Disposable Vapes. JOTV. Jumponthevape.com. EST:2020. [Online] [Accessed on 21st August 2022] https://www.jumponthevape.com/blogs/news/the-rise-of-the-disposable-vapes
Miley, J. (2018) 15 Incredible Artworks Made From Trash. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, or in this case art material. Interesting Engineering. [Online] [Accessed on 27th August 2022] https://interestingengineering.com/culture/15-incredible-artworks-made- from-trash
Noble, T and Webster, S. (1982) Tim Noble & Sue Webster. Artwerks. Tim Noble & Sue Webster. [Online] [Accessed on 27th August 2022] http://www.timnobleandsuewebster.com/artwerks.html
Pardoe, S. (2021) ‘Talking rubbish in Moss Side’. Moss Side Story. [Online] [Accessed on 23rd August 2022] https://mosssidestory.uk/community-projects/upping-it/talking-rubbish-in- moss-side/
Pluto Press. (no date) Tansy E. Hoskins. Pluto Press. [Online] [Accessed on 21st August 2022] https://www.plutobooks.com/author/tansy-e-hoskins/
Swiftpak. (2022) Packaging Trends. 6 Top Packaging Trends for 2022. Swiftpak. [Online] [Accessed on 21st August 2022] https://www.swiftpak.co.uk/insights/6-top-packaging-trends- for-2022
Whittaker, J. (2021) The History of Vaping. Vampire Vape. [Online] [Accessed on 21st August 2022] https://www.vampirevape.co.uk/blog/the-history-of-vaping
Willis, R. (2019) Working-class towns are becoming dumping grounds for waste. The Conversation. [Online] [Accessed on 23rd August 2022] https://theconversation.com/working-class-towns-are-becoming-dumping-grounds-for-waste- 121153
Other References
Crome, K. (no date) What is Waste? Manchester Metropolitan University: Keith Crome. [Online] [Accessed on 20th July 2022] https://moodle.mmu.ac.uk/mod/folder/view.php?id=3258818
Manchester Metropolitan University. (no date) MMU Harvard. Manchester Metropolitan University. [Online] [Accessed on 11th May 2022] https://www.mmu.ac.uk/library/referencing-and-study-support/referencing/mmu-harvard#ai- 32646–0
Thesaurus. (no date) Thesaurus.com. Thesaurus. com. [Online] [Accessed on 14th May 2022] https://www.thesaurus.com
