Summer 2023 Newsletter | Triangle Building & Housing Corporation
BUILDING TRIANGLE'S FUTURE
THROWAWAY CULTURE & THE DIY MOVEMENT
Makerspace facility at the Illinois Chapter
By Don Hatfield msu88, Triangle Building & Housing Corp. Assistant Secretary
In the past decades, as products have become cheaper and easier to acquire in a day’s notice, one may have little motivation to fix most consumer goods. In fact, it seems the world has embraced a “throwaway culture”. This always seems to rub me the wrong way. Triangles should have the resources and knowledge to fix, reuse and repurpose instead of toss. Then again, I am rather biased. I trained as an electronic technician in high school and in the US Navy; my father was a hobby farmer, raced horses, and was a millwright in the automotive industry; and as a Triangle and engineer, I am ever finding solutions and fixing things. To be honest there are pros and cons of a throwaway culture: Pros: Convenience and Efficiency – products are made quickly and cheaply to take advantage of current trends and needs. They are cheap so there is little need to reuse the item (if it can be reused at all). Think of disposable plates and cutlery – it makes picnics more convenient and efficient since there’s no dishes left over. Economic Growth and Job Creation – By making products quickly and cheaply, and encouraging disposal to buy new
things quicker, it creates economic growth and provides jobs. This also allows for innovation to be adopted quicker, which in turn creates more growth. Accessibility and Affordability – Throwaway culture has made products more accessible and affordable to a wider population. Mass production and economies of scale have resulted in lower manufacturing costs, enabling consumers to purchase goods at lower prices. This affordability has made essential items, such as food, clothing, and household goods, more accessible to individuals with limited financial resources. Cons: Environmental Impact – Perhaps the most significant drawback of our throwaway culture is its detrimental impact on the environment. Disposable products contribute to pollution, deforestation, and resource depletion. Pollution found in the air, ground and water are symptoms of the throwaway culture. Waste Generation – Throwaway culture has led to an alarming increase in waste generation Landfills are continued on pg. 2