Landfill, Overconsumption, and Freeganism

As humans we all want to acquire things that we desire, from foods, to clothes, toys for the kids etc. the list of things we consume day-to-day is endless. Its nice to live life and enjoy the thing that one wants, but people need to stop and realize the effect that some of our acquisitions are doing to our environment. Many of us are over consuming many products and later we throw it to waste. When we purchase food in the supermarket hoping it will last us a week, we store it in the fridge, forget about it and later throw it away in the trash. With the number of people starving in the world we throw away food, and other valuables like it nothing, because are lifestyle is wrong. The American market system depends on our purchases, so they do their best to make us want it more, buy it more, pollute and waste more.

However, our overconsumption will affect us in the years to come. We don’t realize it now but as we continue to consume at this increase rate, just to have a comfortable life eventually our planet will suffer from all the over extractions. We take away from forest, fish, soil, minerals and water in earth, this will result in a degrading of our ecosystem, habitats and species. One of the greatest issues with over consumption is the way they affect the landfills in our country. Landfills are the most common place for garbage to be deposited in North America. Although these areas keep the garbage off the street and out of sight, they produce a number of hazardous affect to people, animal, and the environment. The biggest issue with landfills is that with all the different types of garbage piled up, when it rains all the different types of battery acid, lead, and chemicals (leachate) can all mix up and transfer to soil and bodies of water, eventually leading to animals and people.

Although, landfills are secluded they smell and they take up valuable space, and will only increase through out the years, especially with our issue with overconsumption. Perhaps, if more people recycled and watched the things they bought it could have a positive impact on the world. Many people have taken the initiative to make a difference, by bettering the world and taking our waste and making it their product, these people are called freegans. Freegans go around digging into all types of trashcans looking for food, clothes, and any other material goods they can find. These people don’t work, they don’t spend money and some don’t really have a place to live.

For those who have a home, most of their furniture came from the trash. I understand that what they do is to better the environment, or for personal beliefs or personal reason, but it is so dangerous. These people can get seriously sick, or hurt digging through trash, that could possibly expose them chemicals or bacteria. Some of things that we throw out belong in the trash, that’s why is there to begin with. Their “anti-consumerist ethic about eating” can cause them salmonella, food poisoning or even death itself. Freeganism is a method some people survive regardless of the reason; I don’t think they should be doing it. So maybe if we stop over consuming, landfills wont have so much affect on our environment, and people wont have to dig through trashcans.