Australia’s hard rubbish culture a shock to my third-world perspective

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Opinion

Australia’s hard rubbish culture a shock to my third-world perspective

As I walk to the neighbourhood cafe to get my cappuccino, the kerbside is overflowing with household items: a massive TV, a rice cooker, a mattress and a bed frame, a few chairs, some kitchen utensils, and tables. I am in shock. I ask myself, “Why would people throw out perfectly fine items?”

I am tempted to rescue each one. What shocks me even more is that several days later they all remain lying by the kerb.

Some of the items in hard rubbish can still be used.

Some of the items in hard rubbish can still be used.Credit:James Alcock.

I grew up in a Third World country, the Philippines. This is something you would never see there. Old appliances are given away to someone who would need them or donated to a charity that could use them. We would sell items in the classifieds. But to leave perfectly useable items in the streets would be unthinkable. Or if you did, they would be gone in hours.

Each time I see household items left beside the road, I am aghast. I come from a culture where nothing is wasted. Old campaign tarpaulins and juice containers are made into bags. Scraps of cloth are upcycled to bathmats and potholders. This isn’t done in First World countries.

Now, as a resident of Australia, I wonder what happens to the hard waste after it is collected. Is it recycled, repurposed or reused? But before I can give it more thought, my computer monitor breaks. As it is still under warranty, I return it to the shop. They tell me it will be repaired in two weeks or so. In the meantime, I need to buy another monitor to use.

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When my laptop broke, the Apple store staff recommended replacing it instead of having the screen fixed. A new one would mean I’d get a better and faster laptop. Plus, more time spent wasted on repairs translates to less time being productive. Time is money. Labour is also not cheap in First World countries, so repairs are not always an affordable solution.

Our lives have become fast-paced, things have become disposable. It is more efficient to just replace things. We quickly forget about one detail. The thing we dispose of has to go somewhere. It doesn’t disappear.

Shouldn’t we make more sturdy, long-lasting products? Shouldn’t we be more mindful of our purchases before making them? Shouldn’t we take greater care in making our things last longer? Shouldn’t we consider possible recipients of our things before simply throwing them away?

As I walk around my neighbourhood, life goes on. No one gives a second look at the TV sitting by the road for over a week now. Perhaps I am the only one suffering kerbside culture shock.

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