11/29/2011
Number of people dying as a result of obesity doubles in 10 years
Britain is facing an “obesity time-bomb” with the number of middle-aged people dying as a result of being overweight more than doubling in less than a decade, official figures have disclosed.
More than 190 people aged under 65 died as a direct result of their obesity last year – compared to just 88 in 2000. Deaths among those aged between 46 and 55 almost tripled.
Obesity was a contributing factor in a further 757 deaths last year – compared to just 358 in 2000.
The official figures were released by ministers amid growing concern that obesity will soon present a bigger threat to public health than smoking.
Last night, Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, urged the Government to increase their attempts to tackle the problem by increasing the warnings on fatty and unhealthy foods.
“Labour has neglected the UK’s obesity time-bomb and these figures demonstrate the awful consequences of their complacency,” he said.
“We urgently need action now, but unfortunately this Government’s record has been one of obesity targets missed and scrapped, budgets for information campaigns being raided, and dithering over food labelling. It is about time that the Labour Government woke up and started to take obesity seriously.”
“We urgently need action now, but unfortunately this Government’s record has been one of obesity targets missed and scrapped, budgets for information campaigns being raided, and dithering over food labelling. It is about time that the Labour Government woke up and started to take obesity seriously.”
The official figures disclose that in 2000, just 25 people aged between 46 and 55 died “where obesity was the underlying cause of death”. By 2005, the number has increased to 51 and last year it was 70.
The “number of deaths where obesity was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate” rose from 121 in 2000 to 257 last year for the same age group. Similar increases were also recorded for those aged between 34 and 45 and 56-65.
The figures are particularly alarming as they show that hundreds of younger people are dying because of a poor diet and lack of exercise.
Previous research found that “severe obesity” reduces life expectancy by about ten years. Therefore, most people dying today as a result of their weight could expect to have retired and be over 65.
The death rates are expected to increase sharply in the next few decades as today’s generation of overweight youngsters become middle-aged.
People who are overweight or obese face an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and osteo-arthritis. Obesity is also linked to several types of cancer.
Around half of British adults are overweight, and 17 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women are officially classed as obese. Britain has the highest obesity rates in Europe.
11/28/2011
Packaging and the Environment
From Rubbish to Recycled - Inside a recycling centre
Sustainable Packaging
Sustainable Packaging
- Why package?
- The six RS
Re-thinking
Re-using
Recycling
Refusing
Reducing
Repairing
Re-packaging
Dr Helene Roberts - Head of packaging - M&S
" We balance very much about what consumers actually needed to play all the functions of pacakging meet today, but same time not excited pack in any way."
Packaging and the Environment
Lee major talks about a new green technology his company uses.
"We use a material called plantic, it's a starch-based material, it's manufactured by an Australian company, and is 100% renewable. The other benefit of this packaging is that it's consumer compostable, and by that I mean that the consumer can throw it in the bin, or throw it in their garden, and with a little bit of moisture, the products breaks down within minutes, and that residue that;s left over. Is perfectly good to put on the garden, and has no environmental effects.
Sustainable Packaging
11/27/2011
Packaging waste
Trace the Waste [unnecessary packaging]
Over Packing is this worst, I bet you know worse?
Packaging Waste Exposed!
Reducing Packaging Waste
Reducing Packaging Waste: Lessons Learnt from M&S Plan A
Helene Roberts, Head of Packaging - Food Division, Marks & Spencer provides an overview of the retailer's waste and packaging commitments as part of Plan A and showcases an invaluable example of best practice in reducing plastic packaging volumes.
RETHINK YOUR RUBBISH!!! an insight into packaging, waste and recycling
A short documentary based on recycling and waste management. To help try and save the environment by making little changes to our lives. if everybody started to think more about recycling and the products that we buy in the supermarkets then maybe one day we wouldnt live under a pile of carrier bags!!
HouseSmarts Green Piece "Packaging Waste" Episode 106
RETHINK YOUR RUBBISH!!! an insight into packaging, waste and recycling
HouseSmarts Green Piece "Packaging Waste" Episode 106
11/26/2011
Cutting down on Christmas waste
Christmas! A time of goodwill and celebration, often accompanied by seasonal increases in eating, drinking and spending. If all goes well this combination should result in a lot of fun, but unfortunately it will also result in an estimated 3 million tonnes of waste. But you can have the best of both worlds. With a bit of thought you can limit the impact you have on the environment this Christmas and still have a great time.
As a result of our lifestyles, on average every household in the UK throws away 1.2 tonnes of waste every year. This amounts to a staggering 30 million tonnes in total.
In just a fortnight we each throw away from home, amongst other things, five glass bottles or jars, six cans, seven plastic bottles and three and a half kg of paper and card. A massive 60% of our household waste could be recycled or composted, but most of it is still deposited in landfill sites. Nearly 23% of domestic waste was recycled and composted in England in 2004/05. We need to find ways to not only recycle more, but also to reduce and reuse our waste. We need to focus our efforts and change our habits and what better time than during the Christmas period; a new approach for a New Year!
Having a green Christmas doesn't mean being a Scrooge! Just follow these simple action points for cutting down on Christmas waste.
A feast of waste
Why bother?
The amount of waste we produce and our main methods of disposal are currently not sustainable. The production, treatment and disposal of waste can all harm the environment. This is not just because of the problems with landfill, incineration or other disposal options - it is also because we use new resources to replace ones we have thrown out. It is estimated that for every tonne of waste produced in our homes, five tonnes has already been produced in manufacturing and 10 tonnes at the point where the raw material was extracted. About 600 million tonnes of raw resources are used in the UK per year, 570 million tonnes of which end up as waste losses through energy, water, solid wastes and other emissions.As a result of our lifestyles, on average every household in the UK throws away 1.2 tonnes of waste every year. This amounts to a staggering 30 million tonnes in total.
In just a fortnight we each throw away from home, amongst other things, five glass bottles or jars, six cans, seven plastic bottles and three and a half kg of paper and card. A massive 60% of our household waste could be recycled or composted, but most of it is still deposited in landfill sites. Nearly 23% of domestic waste was recycled and composted in England in 2004/05. We need to find ways to not only recycle more, but also to reduce and reuse our waste. We need to focus our efforts and change our habits and what better time than during the Christmas period; a new approach for a New Year!
Having a green Christmas doesn't mean being a Scrooge! Just follow these simple action points for cutting down on Christmas waste.
How's, what's and where's of recycling at Christmas
Waste at home
What we produce？
We all produce waste of some sort, whether it is the empty drinks can, or the grass clippings from the garden. We estimate that nearly 30million tonnes of household waste were collected in the UK in 2003/04. That's over 500 kg, or half a tonne, of rubbish per person per year!
So where does it all go?
A total of 72% of municipal waste is landfilled - which means it's buried in the ground
9% is incinerated - which means it's burnt - this is also called energy from waste.
Dealing with our rubbish in this way is not an ideal solution. When we bury or burn our rubbish we are losing valuable natural resources and wasting the energy, water and transport costs used in its production. Landfilling and incineration can harm the environment if not properly managed. Many landfill sites are nearly full and we are rapidly running out of suitable land, close to where the rubbish is produced, for new sites. In any case, these sites are often unwelcome neighbours - we keep producing the rubbish, but we don't want it disposed of near to where we live.
The alternative?
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
We would all benefit from:
Reducing the amount of rubbish we create
Reusing as much of our rubbish as possible
increasing the 19% of waste that we currently recycle and compost (although the latest figures suggest we are now recycling 23%)
That is what the 3Rs are about - reduce, reuse, recycle.
Reducing - every year the amount of rubbish we produce increases and this leads to increased costs for society - both financial and environmental. The majority of the resources that we use to make things - only to throw them away - can't be replaced. Throwing away our rubbish puts pressure on the environment - not only from the landfills and incinerators, but also because we have to extract and process even more resources, and transport our new goods and our old rubbish so increasing vehicle emissions. As consumers, we have the ability to reverse this trend - buy only the right quantity of what we really need, choose products with less packaging, and buy from producers employing sustainable practices.
Reusing - we can cut down on the amount of rubbish we have to get rid of by reusing our materials. Computers, furniture, clothing - so many items can be reused. Setting the printer to print on both sides of a sheet of paper, repairing our broken appliances and shoes or finding a charity that will make use of them - we help ourselves and others, and delay the point at which materials become waste.
Recycling - putting materials aside for recycling helps in many ways: we send less rubbish to landfill or incineration, and we save valuable materials and energy - for example, plastic bottles can be converted into fleeces and garden furniture, whilst recycling aluminium cans saves 95% of the energy used in making a new can. New technologies are furthering our ability to recycle what was previously our waste and turn it back into the resources that we need.
Buy recycled - If you find that a material is not being recycled in your area, it may be because the markets are not strong enough for the local authority to pay for collecting it. To help alleviate this, support those industries that use recycled materials by buying recycled products. Buying recycled 'closes the loop' in recycling - remember that it's not enough just to recycle, buying recycled ensures that the materials you send for recycling are actually used again.
You may also be interested in other ways to use your power as a consumer to help promote sustainability - visit green choices for further suggestions on environmentally friendly shopping.
Sustainable solutions - The problem of what to do with the waste we produce is worldwide though the solutions have to be provided locally. In the UK there are many organisations - governmental and independent, local and national who are trying to move Britain forward towards a sustainable society.
We all produce waste of some sort, whether it is the empty drinks can, or the grass clippings from the garden. We estimate that nearly 30million tonnes of household waste were collected in the UK in 2003/04. That's over 500 kg, or half a tonne, of rubbish per person per year!
So where does it all go?
A total of 72% of municipal waste is landfilled - which means it's buried in the ground
9% is incinerated - which means it's burnt - this is also called energy from waste.
Dealing with our rubbish in this way is not an ideal solution. When we bury or burn our rubbish we are losing valuable natural resources and wasting the energy, water and transport costs used in its production. Landfilling and incineration can harm the environment if not properly managed. Many landfill sites are nearly full and we are rapidly running out of suitable land, close to where the rubbish is produced, for new sites. In any case, these sites are often unwelcome neighbours - we keep producing the rubbish, but we don't want it disposed of near to where we live.
The alternative?
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
We would all benefit from:
Reducing the amount of rubbish we create
Reusing as much of our rubbish as possible
increasing the 19% of waste that we currently recycle and compost (although the latest figures suggest we are now recycling 23%)
That is what the 3Rs are about - reduce, reuse, recycle.
Reducing - every year the amount of rubbish we produce increases and this leads to increased costs for society - both financial and environmental. The majority of the resources that we use to make things - only to throw them away - can't be replaced. Throwing away our rubbish puts pressure on the environment - not only from the landfills and incinerators, but also because we have to extract and process even more resources, and transport our new goods and our old rubbish so increasing vehicle emissions. As consumers, we have the ability to reverse this trend - buy only the right quantity of what we really need, choose products with less packaging, and buy from producers employing sustainable practices.
Reusing - we can cut down on the amount of rubbish we have to get rid of by reusing our materials. Computers, furniture, clothing - so many items can be reused. Setting the printer to print on both sides of a sheet of paper, repairing our broken appliances and shoes or finding a charity that will make use of them - we help ourselves and others, and delay the point at which materials become waste.
Recycling - putting materials aside for recycling helps in many ways: we send less rubbish to landfill or incineration, and we save valuable materials and energy - for example, plastic bottles can be converted into fleeces and garden furniture, whilst recycling aluminium cans saves 95% of the energy used in making a new can. New technologies are furthering our ability to recycle what was previously our waste and turn it back into the resources that we need.
Buy recycled - If you find that a material is not being recycled in your area, it may be because the markets are not strong enough for the local authority to pay for collecting it. To help alleviate this, support those industries that use recycled materials by buying recycled products. Buying recycled 'closes the loop' in recycling - remember that it's not enough just to recycle, buying recycled ensures that the materials you send for recycling are actually used again.
You may also be interested in other ways to use your power as a consumer to help promote sustainability - visit green choices for further suggestions on environmentally friendly shopping.
Sustainable solutions - The problem of what to do with the waste we produce is worldwide though the solutions have to be provided locally. In the UK there are many organisations - governmental and independent, local and national who are trying to move Britain forward towards a sustainable society.
What happens to waste
What happens to the rubbish we produce?
Waste from our homes is generally collected by our local authorities through regular waste collection, or by special collections for recycling. In addition, householders may make special trips to their civic amenity (CA) site, or organise a bulky waste collection in order to dispose of particular items.
Whilst it is difficult to monitor reduction and reuse schemes, councils and waste management companies do collect figures allowing us to note how much of collected waste is intended for recycling (or recovery) and how much for final disposal through landfill. The main methods currently employed are landfilling, recycling, composting and energy from waste plants.
Landfill
At the most basic level landfilling involved placing waste in a hole in the ground and covering it with soil. Today, the engineering of a modern landfill is a complex process, typically involving lining and capping individual "cells" into which waste is compacted and covered to prevent the escape of polluting liquid or gases. Systems are installed to capture and remove the gases and liquids produced by the rotting rubbish.
Household waste recycling
Recyclate from recycling collections are frequently sent to a materials recycling facility (MRF).
At the MRF the materials typically travel along a conveyor belt and the specific fractions are gradually removed. Metals may be extracted using magnets, paper taken off by weight and other screening devises used. Following separation the constituent material are baled prior to sending to reprocessors.
The activities at these plants are specific to the material being processed Ð pulping and shredding of paper, granulation of plastics, melting of metals and glass to name but a few.
Many goods produced with recycled content will end up in the shops as ordinary household products, such as bin bags, stationery, furniture, or even filling for duvets and pillows.
Composting
The biodegradable component of municipal waste that will break down is know as BMW and includes kitchen and garden waste, paper, card and more. Composting allows this material to break down and results in the formation of compost that can be used as fertilizer.
Although compost can be made at home, councils are increasingly developing centralised composting schemes for residents' garden waste to tackle this large and problematic part of the waste stream.
Incineration
Incineration is the burning of waste. Incineration may be carried out with or without energy recovery. The energy released from burning the rubbish is often used to generate electricity.
source：http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/topic?topic=a0gC0000002RwGLIA0
The problem with waste
What is waste and why does it matter?
Waste or rubbish is what people throw away because they no longer need it or want it. Almost everything we do creates waste and as a society we are currently producing more waste than ever before. We do this at home and at work. The fact that we produce waste, and get rid of it, matters for the following reasons
-when something is thrown away we lose the natural resources, the energy and the time which have been used to make the product. The vast majority of resources that we use in manufacturing products and providing services cannot be replaced. The use of these resources cannot go on indefinitely - we would run out.
-when something is thrown away we are putting pressure on the environment's ability to cope - in terms of the additional environmental impacts associated with extracting the new resources, manufacturing and distributing the goods, and in terms of the environmental impacts associated with getting rid of our rubbish.
-when something is thrown away we are failing to see it as a resource. It is well understood that what is waste to one person may not be viewed as waste by another. A good example of this is scrap metal which has been recycled for many years. Increasingly people are realising that it makes economic sense as well as environmental sense to use "waste" rather than just throw it away.
The process of using up the earth's natural resources to make products which we then throw away, sometimes a very short time later, is not "sustainable" - in other words, it cannot continue indefinitely.
The way in which we consume materials will affect whether we have a sustainable society that leaves resources available for future generations to use. As consumers and producers, we are central to the concept of sustainability. We need to think about how we can use fewer resources ("get more out of less"), how we can make products last for longer (which means we use less and we throw away less) and how we can do better things with our so-called "waste" than throw it away. We need to see "waste" as a "resource".
The "waste hierarchy"
The best way of managing our waste is not to produce it in the first place - waste prevention. After that we can think about reducing the amount of waste we do produce. Then there may be an option to reuse the material. The UK Government has developed this approach to derive a hierarchy of options for managing waste - known as "the waste hierarchy".
The waste hierarchy specifies the following order of preference for dealing with our wastes - with those towards the top of the list more desirable than those towards the bottom，
reduce
reuse
recover
(recycle
compost
recover energy)
disposal
The hierarchy is a guide. It does not mean that in all circumstances, at all times, a higher option will be better than a lower option. In most cases a combination of options for managing the different wastes produced at home and at work will be needed. But the hierarchy provides a simple rule of thumb guide to the relative environmental benefits of different options.
The problem we have today is that more of our rubbish is dealt with towards the bottom end of the hierarchy than the top. The challenge is to change our attitudes and our practices so that much more of our waste is dealt with by options towards the top of the hierarchy.
Waste or rubbish is what people throw away because they no longer need it or want it. Almost everything we do creates waste and as a society we are currently producing more waste than ever before. We do this at home and at work. The fact that we produce waste, and get rid of it, matters for the following reasons
-when something is thrown away we lose the natural resources, the energy and the time which have been used to make the product. The vast majority of resources that we use in manufacturing products and providing services cannot be replaced. The use of these resources cannot go on indefinitely - we would run out.
-when something is thrown away we are putting pressure on the environment's ability to cope - in terms of the additional environmental impacts associated with extracting the new resources, manufacturing and distributing the goods, and in terms of the environmental impacts associated with getting rid of our rubbish.
-when something is thrown away we are failing to see it as a resource. It is well understood that what is waste to one person may not be viewed as waste by another. A good example of this is scrap metal which has been recycled for many years. Increasingly people are realising that it makes economic sense as well as environmental sense to use "waste" rather than just throw it away.
The process of using up the earth's natural resources to make products which we then throw away, sometimes a very short time later, is not "sustainable" - in other words, it cannot continue indefinitely.
The way in which we consume materials will affect whether we have a sustainable society that leaves resources available for future generations to use. As consumers and producers, we are central to the concept of sustainability. We need to think about how we can use fewer resources ("get more out of less"), how we can make products last for longer (which means we use less and we throw away less) and how we can do better things with our so-called "waste" than throw it away. We need to see "waste" as a "resource".
The "waste hierarchy"
The best way of managing our waste is not to produce it in the first place - waste prevention. After that we can think about reducing the amount of waste we do produce. Then there may be an option to reuse the material. The UK Government has developed this approach to derive a hierarchy of options for managing waste - known as "the waste hierarchy".
The waste hierarchy specifies the following order of preference for dealing with our wastes - with those towards the top of the list more desirable than those towards the bottom，
reduce
reuse
recover
(recycle
compost
recover energy)
disposal
The hierarchy is a guide. It does not mean that in all circumstances, at all times, a higher option will be better than a lower option. In most cases a combination of options for managing the different wastes produced at home and at work will be needed. But the hierarchy provides a simple rule of thumb guide to the relative environmental benefits of different options.
The problem we have today is that more of our rubbish is dealt with towards the bottom end of the hierarchy than the top. The challenge is to change our attitudes and our practices so that much more of our waste is dealt with by options towards the top of the hierarchy.
Wacky waste facts
Wacky waste facts
Have you ever thought about how much rubbish you and your family throw away every week? Or why we need to stop throwing so much of it away? This page is full of amazing waste facts. Did you know that...
General garbage
The UK produces more than 434 million tonnes of waste every year. This rate of rubbish generation would fill the Albert Hall in London in less than 2 hours.
Every year UK households throw away the equivalent of 3 ½ million double-decker buses (almost 30 million tonnes), a queue of which would stretch from London to Sydney(Australia) and back.
On average, each person in the UK, throws away seven times their body weight (about 500kg) in rubbish every year.
Glass
On average, every family in the UK consumes around 330 glass bottles and jars a year. (British Glass)
It is not known how long glass takes to break down but it is so long that glass made in the Middle East over 3000 years ago can still be found today.
Recycling two bottles saves enough energy to boil water for five cups of tea.
Fantastic plastic
Every year, an estimated 17
½ billion plastic bags are given away by supermarkets. This is equivalent to over 290 bags for every person in the UK. 17 ½ billion seconds ago it was the year 1449.
We produce and use 20 times more plastic today than we did 50 years ago!
Oil
1 litre of oil can pollute 1 million litres of fresh drinking water (Scottish Oil Care Campaign).
Waste oil from nearly 3 million car oil changes in Britain is not collected. If collected properly, this could meet the annual energy needs of 1.5 million people. (Scottish Oil Care Campaign)
Preposterous paper
About one fifth of the contents of household dustbins consists of paper and card, of which half is newspapers and magazines.This is equivalent to over 4kg of waste paper per household in the UK each week.
Persistent packaging
In 2001 UK households produced the equivalent weight of 245 jumbo jets per week in packaging waste.
Every year each person produces 4 times as much packaging waste as their luggage allowance on a jumbo jet.
Revolting rubbish
Babies' nappies makes up about 2 % of the average household rubbish. This is equivalent to the weight of nearly 70,000 double decker buses every year. If lined up front to end, the buses would stretch from London to Edinburgh.
source：http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/topic?topic=a0gC0000002RwGKIA0
Have you ever thought about how much rubbish you and your family throw away every week? Or why we need to stop throwing so much of it away? This page is full of amazing waste facts. Did you know that...
General garbage
The UK produces more than 434 million tonnes of waste every year. This rate of rubbish generation would fill the Albert Hall in London in less than 2 hours.
Every year UK households throw away the equivalent of 3 ½ million double-decker buses (almost 30 million tonnes), a queue of which would stretch from London to Sydney(Australia) and back.
On average, each person in the UK, throws away seven times their body weight (about 500kg) in rubbish every year.
Glass
On average, every family in the UK consumes around 330 glass bottles and jars a year. (British Glass)
It is not known how long glass takes to break down but it is so long that glass made in the Middle East over 3000 years ago can still be found today.
Recycling two bottles saves enough energy to boil water for five cups of tea.
Fantastic plastic
Every year, an estimated 17
½ billion plastic bags are given away by supermarkets. This is equivalent to over 290 bags for every person in the UK. 17 ½ billion seconds ago it was the year 1449.
We produce and use 20 times more plastic today than we did 50 years ago!
Oil
1 litre of oil can pollute 1 million litres of fresh drinking water (Scottish Oil Care Campaign).
Waste oil from nearly 3 million car oil changes in Britain is not collected. If collected properly, this could meet the annual energy needs of 1.5 million people. (Scottish Oil Care Campaign)
Preposterous paper
About one fifth of the contents of household dustbins consists of paper and card, of which half is newspapers and magazines.This is equivalent to over 4kg of waste paper per household in the UK each week.
Persistent packaging
In 2001 UK households produced the equivalent weight of 245 jumbo jets per week in packaging waste.
Every year each person produces 4 times as much packaging waste as their luggage allowance on a jumbo jet.
Revolting rubbish
Babies' nappies makes up about 2 % of the average household rubbish. This is equivalent to the weight of nearly 70,000 double decker buses every year. If lined up front to end, the buses would stretch from London to Edinburgh.
source：http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/topic?topic=a0gC0000002RwGKIA0
10/27/2011
Theoretical research & Visual research & Technical research and development
Theoretical research
A lot of reading (Academic literature, Academic journals, Books, Journal websites, Website sources) will be the main way of theoretical research. The research questions will include: What is the packaging waste? How packaging waste generated? The classification of packaging waste. How packaging waste affect environment? Packaging waste management procedures and laws. How to deal with packaging waste? How to reduce packaging waste ("5R+1D" principle, 7Rs)? How to reduce packaging waste through design? Why company changes their packaging? Etc.
And the psychological motivations of consumers to purchase goods. How packaging affect consumer's buying behaviour? Packaging design elements. How consumers deal with packaging waste? Consumer's awareness of environmental protection. How to enhance consumer's environmental awareness through packaging design? Etc.
Visual research
In this part, network videos, case studies and investigate in the real market environment will become the key of visual research. That will relate to: What approaches does designers used to reduce packaging waste? What kind of packaging in line with principles of sustainable development? The application of packaging design elements. How packaging affect consumer's buying behaviour? Whether the environmental protection information on packaging can be correctly transmitted to consumers? Whether green packaging could really help raise the environmental awareness among consumers? Etc.
Technical research and development
Adam Lowry, the Packaging Manager of Homecare think, if you can understand the true lifecycle of a package then you can design a package in such a way as to give it the best chance of being reclaimed and used again. And he also said' the best way to effect positive environmental change is to provide consumers with a better product through design, and create mass appeal, rather than merely creating a "green" brand that speaks only to environmentalist.'
So in this part, I will focus on material research, which includes the recycling system of different materials, what kind of materials could be recycled? The role of each material and what they usually to be used for? The application of some new materials. Which steps does a package need from generate ideas to be mass-produced? The history of packaging and the changes in packaging technology. In the future study, I will try to use different materials in packaging design and learn the knowledge of structure design to reduce packaging waste. In addition, I will also learn or improve my software skills (Rhino, Coreldraw, Illustrator and Photoshop) to support the projects.
Overall - project proposal
Packaging waste can arise from a wide range of sources including supermarkets, retail outlets, manufacturing industries, households, hotels, hospitals, restaurants and transport companies. Items like glass bottles, plastic containers, aluminium cans, food wrappers, timber pallets and drums are all classified as packaging.
It is estimated that the equivalent of 1.5 billion dustbin of packaging waste is produced in the UK each year, most of which ends up in landfill sites. Industry and commerce generate 150 million tonnes, and households about 3.2 million tonnes of packaging waste a year. Since much packaging ends up as litter on streets, it is a very visible form of waste. In the US it is estimated that approximately a quarter of landfill space is occupied by discarded packaging. In England and Wales, packaging accounts for about a third by weight of weight of household waste.
Packaging waste has become a disease, not just about litter and landfills, but also about deforestation, air quality and global warming. We are seeing more and more packaging waste coming out these days, most of which is not recyclable. The impact on the environment is severe because we lost more resources and a lot more energy.
So how to reduce packaging waste through design will become one of my research questions.
Consumers' purchasing decision is a purely economic behavior. They consider the balance between prices and benefits (quality, convenience and brand trust) of the product when making decision. Thanks to abundant of information regarding environmental conservation campaigns, they gradually realize their materialistic consumption contribute a lot to the mass waste. As the green concerns improved, the
choices of product are no longer depend on the style and brand personality, environmental and ethical considerations are also counted as a key to purchasing decision.
However, the problem is not every consumer realize this problem and respond this yet. They may feel a responsibility to cut down on excess packaging and take steps like recycling, but also think they are unable to solve the huge problem because their efforts are too little to fix the serious problems like global climate change or ozone layer depletion.
So how to help consumers build confidence and raise awareness of environmental protection through packaging design will become another question that I prepare to research.
Why People Dye Their Hair
Many people of different ages ask of teens the question, "Why do you dye your hair?" It's a valid question. It seems like the fad these days is to have a different color of hair every week. Red, purple, blue, green, orange, it doesn't matter, as long as it's new. The crazier the better, the brighter the cooler. I feel I'm experienced in this area, as I've dyed my hair at least a dozen times in the last couple years. Why do we do it? Most hair dyers probably aren't entirely sure of their ulterior motives behind the florescent colors, but I decided to figure it out.
When someone dyes their hair a noticeably bright color, they get noticed. It's impossible not to see the green haired girl walking down the hall, or the blue haired boy in your gym class. It's immediately the way you're first described by your peers. This attracts attention to you, and makes you more known around your school. Everyone's talking about your new hair color, about how "crazy" and "cool" it is; or maybe how "gross" it is, depending on how it turned out. You could look like a way cool punk rocker, really trendy, or like your hair grew some major mold. It can depend on the dye or the way you dye it, or sometimes on pure luck.
Sometimes people dye their hair because they need a change. They're sick of the brown-haired, boring old person they see in the mirror every day, and want to add a little spice to their look. It's really hard to be boring looking when your hair can be seen from a block away. It's a valid reason to make a change, and seems like a good idea to me.
A more common reason that people dye their hair, but most wouldn't admit to, is to try to be "cool". If making friends or getting respect is your reason for bringing out the dye, I would seriously recommend reconsideration, and would look down on you if that was your only reason. Maybe for some people it would be a perk, but it shouldn't be your primary motive for going hair-crazy. If it is, and you dye your hair with hopes of being cool, and it doesn't happen, you'll be stuck with a hair color that you didn't really want, which would definitely not be a good situation. It's pretty easy, and sometimes even a little amusing, when your parents or grandparents gasp at the sight of your bizarre locks, but if you don't have your friends behind you on it, the cons will much outweigh the pros.
Some people simply think they would look much better with a different color of hair. This usually applies with more natural colors, such as blond, brown, red, or auburn. Most of the time these changes are for the better, especially if they aren't too drastic. Going from blond to black could be quite a change, and sometimes fair skin doesn't go too well with ebony hair. Interesting if you're going for the goth look, but not if you're trying to make yourself subtly better looking.
Also, a very effective way of rebelling against your family is by dying your hair. Once they see the stain-covered bathroom and your incredible head of crazy colors, yes, they could scream. Beware of emotional mom's, I've heard they faint. And if you've got the extremely aggressive parents, watch out for those scissors, they just might try to cut your hair. But, no matter what they do, you will have made the firm statement that you are your own person and you won't listen to reasoning or discipline. Hopefully after a few weeks of grounding your parents will figure out that your hair color WILL wash out eventually, and that their social circle will get over their initial shock and thoughts of what irresponsible parents they are to let their child get away with such a thing.
There are many different ways to dye your hair, depending on how committed you are to the new look. In my own humble opinion, Kool-Aid is a beginners' step to the entire hair dying obsession. It's a non-committal way of trying out a different color. It washes out in a week or two, and isn't terribly noticeable, or expensive. The next step is semi-permanent dye, like you can get at Divine Decadence or other trendy vintage stores. These are very noticeable, and last a little longer than Kool-Aid, up to eight weeks. These colors are much more interesting and original. After that comes the bleaching of hair, and the permanent colors. I haven't reached this phase yet, but most probably will soon.
This was my perception on the reasons for young people dying their hair. There's probably many more reasons on why people our age dye their hair that I haven't even considered. Whatever the reasons are, it's an intriguing fad that doesn't seem to have been around for too long of a time, but is getting more popular. I'll be interested to see if this trend gets defeated by some newer, "cooler" trend, and I hope that the dying of hair won't be completely stamped out, because I think it's an interesting and colorful way to make a statement.
Today's midlife woman
Today’s midlife woman is very different from her 1900 counterpart. The turn-of-the-century woman in her late thirties or early forties was sliding into her last era of life. She was more physically depleted because of multiple pregnancies, was not well-educated, and had narrow opportunities.
Today’s midlife woman has a great number of productive years to which she can look forward. She has skills, education, physical strength, and community acceptance. These midlife years may become her most productive and enjoyable years.
When many of today’s midlife women were in their early twenties, they eagerly jumped into the role of wife and mother, and many never really wanted anything more. They were delighted to see their husband’s success, to vicariously enjoy what he was experiencing, to raise children to be good citizens, and to walk with God.
By their late thirties, however, many of these women are very startled by the change in their feelings about their wife and mother roles. Gradually their satisfaction level drops because of two major factors.
1. "Quiet" nest. The children of a midlife woman are usually still living at home, but are involved much of the time in school activities, part-time jobs, and with friends.
The children are growing very independent. Yes, they need Mom to do the laundry, cook the meals, and keep the house clean. They also need her to run errands and keep the loose ends tied up--but they think they don’t really need her as a person. In fact, they may actually reject her because she "thinks old ideas." She doesn’t like today’s music, clothing, and hairstyles, and may embarrass them when she is around their friends--especially at the mall.
The starry-eyed mother in her twenties may become the exploited mother in her late thirties, serving her children, but not receiving any emotional fulfillment from them.
As she looks to the future, she realizes that shortly her children may be getting married, then she may also become that dreaded "mother-in-law." She is surprised how quickly the "fun years" with the children went by. Now she may feel she is entering the "rejection years".
She is shocked to realize how many years she will live without children at home. Suddenly, her mothering role comes up for reevaluation.
2. Low marriage satisfaction. In her early twenties, marriage was a great adventure with the man she loved. He loved her and took time for her. By her late thirties, marriage may be an endless nightmare of excuses and growing distance.
They had promised each other that their marriage would not be like their parents’ marriages. Sadly, it has followed the same course. They are each preoccupied with their own concerns and have little time for their marriage relationship.
Oh, they talk all the time--about the kids, school, or the house. But they don’t talk to each other about their goals, dreams, and needs--their deep concerns.
The husband, since his early twenties, has been preoccupied with his career. He says, "Next year we’ll have more time." "Next year we’ll go away." "I’ll make it up to you, but for now . . . ." The excuses and the growing separation go on and on. So by midlife, most married people report very low marital satisfaction.
The woman who, in her twenties, willingly gave up her own personal dreams for the dreams of her husband and children, now begins to ask, "Have I been exploited?" "Did I make a mistake?" "Isn’t it time that I follow some of the dreams and abilities that God has given to me?"
This woman is on the edge of a major life reassessment that will ultimately result in her own personal blooming and a more positive relationship with the people around her. However, in the short run, the experience may be very painful for herself and her family.
The Unmarried Woman
The unmarried woman may have followed a career dream rather than marriage and mothering. Now at midlife she may begin to desire a more rounded experience. She may have a strange urge to cut back in her career, get married, be a mother. Now she would like to enjoy marriage and mother-child relationships.
Often we talk to young women experiencing near panic because they are trying to accomplish all of their life goals in one short era. They’re trying to be wives, full-time students, career women, and mothers. These young women have not yet learned that life has many seasons.
The unmarried, midlife career woman may also find herself experiencing burn-out or dis-satisfactions similar to midlife men. The upper limits in career goals may already have been reached. Or the realization may come crashing in on her that she probably never will accomplish what she’d hoped.
The "Have it All" Woman
Every woman needs to decide how she will use her life. An old saying used to teach that "Time is money". Today it’s more accurate to say, "Time is life". It’s your life we’re talking about. How will you use it? What will you accomplish? What will you do with your allotted time?
Often we talk to young women experiencing near panic because they are trying to accomplish all of their life goals in one short era. They’re trying to be wives, full-time students, career women, and mothers. These young women have not yet learned that life has many seasons.
There is time in life to enjoy being a women without the responsibilities of marriage or children. In other seasons you may enjoy being a wife without the distraction of children. Other seasons may bring children, career, volunteer work overseas, major leadership in business or the community--or maybe even the presidency of the United States! But don’t do it all at once! Take life in small chunks. Realize that God has a unique plan for each woman in her unique situation.
As you think about your current or future experience, remember to live in line with your gifts, abilities, and opportunities. You are unique to God. Try to serve others with the gifts that you have been given.
Don’t place money as a career priority. Instead, work in line with your gifts and abilities. Re-read Psalm 1 in the Bible and notice the promise that you have been transplanted into God’s own garden-you will yield your own fruit in your own season.
Blooming at Midlife
Midlife can be an exciting time with many opportunities, or a dreary time of confusion and entrapment. You may not be able to change your circumstances, but you can decide that the circumstances won’t dominate you. You do have choices.
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