A THROW-AWAY CULTURE
Children all over the world understand the universal language of hamburgers and fried chicken, french fries and onion rings. Worldwide, the
craze for fast-food has caught on - embellished, of course, according to cultural preferences. In Malaysia, chilli sauce is more popular than
tomato ketchup and sugar cane is offered along with other soft drinks.
A child finishes her fried chicken and her brother slurps up a milkshake. Together they toss all the greased paper wrappers, polystyrene
containers, paper cups, and ketchup containers into the waste bin. They don't give a thought to their actions. Their parents see only the
convenience and the hygiene of this way of eating. They too don't think of the consequences to the environment.
Malaysian hawkers have plastic bags for soup, plastic bags for noodles, small plastic bags for chilli sauce, and large plastic bags to put all the
other plastic bags in. What percentage of these, if any, is biodegradable?
Other disposable products, like polystyrene cups and containers, do not break down and remain in landfills forever. Some companies in the
North are phasing out
polystyrene containers and turning to environmentally friendlier products. Nevertheless, the throw-away mentality is intrinsic to the conception
of fast food. It is only one aspect of the wasteful and unhealthy modern lifestyle now embraced by much of modern society; yet the ability to
participate in this lifestyle is considered a desirable sign of affluence.
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