What is it really worth?

By Sylvia Bevan

Have you ever looked around you house and said, how come it doesn’t look like a magazine? It’s probably because it’s too cluttered. Once we add up the knick knacks, doodads, extra pieces of crappy furniture that might be new-ish, but not well made, we might be able to better see things that should “move on out” of our Canadian fortresses.

It is a Canadian phenomenon that we have our 1500 dollars worth of junk in the garage, and keep our 40,000 dollars worth of vehicles out in the driveway with the rain, heat, sleet and snow.

What we don’t realize, is that the moment we purchase something, in it, is a responsibility in and of itself, the responsibility of the purchased item of how it was made, to use it wisely, and the responsibility of it’s disposal is ours too.

It is a Canadian phenomenon that we have our 1500 dollars worth of junk in the garage, and keep our 40,000 + dollars worth of vehicles out in the driveway…

In short we, the “purchaser” are responsible for:

1)      the purchase in the first place… was it produced in an immoral, unethical or illegal way, is it biodegradable, is it poisonous, is it made from a realistically renewable source, are there side effects to people, plants, animals?

2)      the use … is it needed? will it last, or is it just junk or just more “stuff”? Which leads to the next question …

3)      It’s disposal… is it going to landfill and not able to bio-degrade, is it hazardous waste? Did we try to re-use it, or give it to someone else to reuse, or did we just throw it in the trash without regard for where it ends up, because it seemed to be more convenient?

How long did the maker spend on this, and got paid what for it? Was it worth their sweat equity…

How long did the maker spend on this, and got paid what for it? Was it worth their sweat equity when we realized that we …

i) didn’t consider how the product came into being (i.e. sweat shops, etc., okay, so we don’t know about everything, but at least keep your ears open! Perhaps buy stuff made in your home country?)

ii) didn’t need it but bought it anyways

iii) chucked it right out on the curb when we realized it was just stuff.

Is that what someone else’s life is worth? Is that what the environment, what we breathe, eat, and sleep, is worth?

If we don’t buy the product that now no longer meets our standards, there will be no market for it, and there will be no monetary compensation for the company, therefore no more incentive to make the product.

The power is ours, make your choice, and remember that every purchase is your responsibility.

§SB