We live in such a throw away society. Everything that is produced uses so much packaging, materials that can't be recycled and are produced cheaply so that their longevity is short. Corporations only worry about the next 90 day profit / loss situation and operate with no concern about the future. We as consumers shop accordingly, trying to save as much money and buy the cheap throw away products.
Plastics are an environmental nightmare as they don't decompose and do not burn without letting off toxins into the atmosphere. Look at the pacific ocean between california and hawaii. There is a floating dump of plastic containers , bags, etc that have been washed out to sea. Never to break down.
Appliances are designed to only last 10 years, and the old ones have no value so off to the dump, wasting more valuable resources.
There is no way that the world can continue at its current pace of stripping minerals/fossil fuel etc and not wipe out mankind within the next century.
Change is enivitable and either we embrace it and prosper in a new paradigm or resist it and earth becomes a waste land. Earth (Gaia) has much more power than humans and will not allow itself to be destroyed. It is like man is poking a sleeping tiger.