Although contemporary society has adopted various solutions to the world’s biggest problems, they are insufficiently addressing real-world problems. The majority of designed products, such as plastics, have long-lasting effects on life. Planned obsolescence is a planning policy that involves designing a product with an artificially useful life (The Story of Stuff Project, 2009). The product becomes obsolete after a certain period and is perceived as unfashionable. While planned obsolescence is a marketing strategy for new and fashionable products, it is harmful to the world and associated natural resources. Consequently, externalized costs are experienced by society, meaning the harmful effects are generated by the producers but carried by society as a whole (The Story of Stuff Project, 2009). Therefore, society must manage its resources for effective economic growth.
A society cannot experience unlimited economic growth due to limited resources. Therefore, the U.S. economy’s future is likely to crash due to overconsumption and consequent depletion of its resources. The country can adopt mechanisms that bring to an end the use of unsustainable products to support the earth’s biological systems. The problem is the U.S.’s capacity to consume 30% of the earth’s resources and provide 30% of the waste (The Story of Stuff Project, 2009). The country can adopt policies that encourage the removal of materials that increase waste rather than encouraging recycling behaviors through rewards, to reduce quantity and consumption’s impact. Recycling does not get to the core of the problem since it encourages repeat behaviors that pollute the environment.
An effective solution with the biggest impact benefits society in the greatest way. According to the video “The Story of Solutions”, changing the game is the best solution to the contemporary problems faced by the U.S. economy (The Story of Stuff Project, 2013). Thus, the country should promote solutions such as banning the use of unsustainable products such as plastics. For instance, finding alternatives to plastics can solve the environmental issues associated with plastic waste.
When watching the videos, I was not surprised by the presented facts about consumption and waste management. Although the problems resonate with me, I found the solutions mind-blowing since I have always believed that recycling is the best solution. While I have experienced the use of alternative resources such as solar power, I think the movement needs much effort since many people still find recycling the best solution.
References
The Story of Stuff Project (2009). The story of stuff [Video]. YouTube. Web.
The Story of Stuff Project (2013). The story of solutions [Video]. YouTube. Web.