A disposable lifestyle is a term used to describe a person who has no concern for their future, instead they live in the present. They are also often referred to as “spenders”.
Many people feel that this sort of lifestyle is more fun and exciting, but it can also be dangerous. There are many risks that come with living this way such as not having money when you need it most, ruining your credit score, and not having anything to show for your time on earth.
It can also relate to the way we treat the products we use too. If you use a lot of plastic or single use products then you live a disposable lifestyle. It’s not just individual that lead a disposable lifestyle, it can be whole nations too.
DISPOSABLE NATION… THE AVERAGE BRIT BINS MORE THAN 7,000 SINGLE-USE ITEMS A YEAR, ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH
1,560 tea bags, 795 paper towels, 689 items of food packaging, 364 face wipes, 312 cotton wipes, 312 bin liners and 156 coffee cups – just some of the everyday single-use items the average Brit will chuck every year, according to new research.
A new nationwide study has revealed that, despite the desire of Brits to go green, UK households discard hundreds of single use items as a matter of course.
The average Brit also gets through 364 cotton buds, 156 coffee filters, 156 plastic drinking straws, 208 sheets of silver foil, 52 disposable razors, 52 shampoo bottles and 52 shower gel bottles on an annual basis.
And the study, by reusable baby wipes brand Cheeky Wipes, found that 416 drink cans, 416 antibacterial wipes, 364 drink bottles, 312 disposable face masks, 52 takeaway boxes and cutlery, and 26 washing up gloves are also chucked away each year.
Males will also dispose of 156 condoms, and the average woman will bin 84 sanitary products.
While the average parent with a child aged two and below will get through 3796 single-use baby wipes and 1352 disposable nappies every year.
It all amounts to more than 7,000 single-use items discarded annually by Brits – just under 5 BILLION items that the nation chucks annually as domestic waste.
While 85 percent of Brits are trying to live green lives, more than four in ten (44 percent) of those polled also say that they are ADDICTED to certain single-use items because of their convenience, while a quarter (25 percent) admitted they were drawn by the lower cost compared to reusable alternatives.
The study 53 percent claim to try their level best to avoid buying single use items at all costs, yet 63 percent of us admit to have binned items rather than go to the bother of recycling them.
And 57 percent of the parents polled confessed that their green intentions fell by the wayside as they became engulfed in the chaos of having a new baby.
A quarter (25 percent) of parents will stop recycling when they have a baby, 26 percent plan to dress their babies in reusable nappies, only to end up using disposable ones for convenience, and 29 percent will use thousands of single-use baby wipes to keep their baby clean.
Said Helen Rankin of Cheeky Wipes: “This research clearly shows that as a nation, we get through so many single use items, from tea bags to take away boxes and shampoo bottles. And so it’s hardly surprising that new parents struggle to make greener choices – it’s an incredibly overwhelming time and sourcing good, reusable baby products can be a huge challenge.”
“There’s so much to contend with as a new parent that we understand that reusables have to be simple to use. At Cheeky Wipes we’re passionate about showing that convenience doesn’t have to mean single use. Reusables are brilliant alternatives that are plastic free, planet and skin friendly and can save parents hundreds of pounds. And crucially, they’re easy to use.”
The study found that 71 percent of new parents will not leave home without single-use baby wipes, while 64 percent consider disposable nappies as a key piece of kit for going out with.
Yet 84 percent said if they had the chance to buy easy-to-reuse nappies and wipes, they would take it.
The data also revealed that, overall, 83 percent of us have felt really guilty when we’ve flushed (accidentally or not) a non-biodegradable item like a wipe down the loo.
While 40 percent have been ticked off by their partner for buying single-use items.
And the average Brit will forget to take reusable shopping bags out with them three times a month, forcing them to buy new bags to take home.
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