Wasteful products...

[Warped9]

A week before Christmas I went to a friend's for dinner. Afterwards when they served coffee they asked me what kind I would like. He then proceeded to show me his Keurig single serve coffee machine where each cup was made from an individual package.

While the coffee was acceptable I was struck by how wasteful this thing is. Every package was an individual serving so everyone could have their individual separate flavour. That's a lot of garbage to go into the landfill as opposed to a bag or can of coffee that provides for several servings or even a jar of instant coffee.

I later thought of this thing as really indulgent and right up there with folks buying oversized SUVs and large shiny pickup trucks that will never see a day of work and carry few passengers.

I'm quite sure my friend didn't see it this way as he just enjoyed what he saw as the benefits of this machine. I, too, can enjoy a good cup of coffee, but for me this just went too far particularly in an age when the message is reuse, recycle and conserve. Most basically: minimize waste and garbage.

Anyone else have examples of what they see as wasteful products...or practices?

 

[Captain Ice]

^As a counterpoint to consider, how wasteful is it to make an entire pot of coffee for a group of guests (or for yourself) and only use one or two cups of it?

For someone who only drinks one or two cups of coffee, that Kuerig machine would be great. Having the coffee in individual packages helps to ensure that it is fresh when it is used.

For an example of an extremely wasteful product, I submit just about every 4x4 ever made. 90% of them never see anything but pavement.

 

[Warped9]

^As a counterpoint to consider, how wasteful is it to make an entire pot of coffee for a group of guests (or for yourself) and only use one or two cups of it?

For someone who only drinks one or two cups of coffee, that Kuerig machine would be great. Having the coffee in individual packages helps to ensure that it is fresh when it is used.

In counterpoint you can brew a pot sufficient for the number of cups (people) you need to serve. Indeed we have such a brewer. And even if you didn't excess water is easier to deal with than dumping more plastic and what else into the landfill.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

In most places, bottled water.
Electric can openers.

 

[Warped9]

In most places, bottled water.
Electric can openers.

True on both counts.

 

[Starbreaker]

How is an electric can opener wasteful? A few pennies for electricity over the year for something that's much easier to use than a handheld can opener...

 

[Warped9]

How is an electric can opener wasteful? A few pennies for electricity over the year for something that's much easier to use than a handheld can opener...

Fair enough. I hadn't really thought of it that way. I suppose it's just that I've never had a problem opening cans manually.

 

[Miss Chicken]

How is an electric can opener wasteful? A few pennies for electricity over the year for something that's much easier to use than a handheld can opener...

I second this. An electric can opener is a blessing for someone with arthritis in their fingers.

My rubber duckies are a wasteful product. They serve no purpose but I love to collect them.

 

[RAMA]

How is an electric can opener wasteful? A few pennies for electricity over the year for something that's much easier to use than a handheld can opener...

I second this. An electric can opener is a blessing for someone with arthritis in their fingers.

My rubber duckies are a wasteful product. They serve no purpose but I love to collect them.

This is a good example of a product that might SEEM wasteful but depending on the user could be very useful.

The Keurig coffee maker might be wasteful but it wastes $ more than anything, the individual packages are criminally overpriced.

 

[chardman]

I second this. An electric can opener is a blessing for someone with arthritis in their fingers.

Heck, they're a blessing for folks with even minor joint problems or just plain lousy grip-strength or impaired dexterity. After my stint in the hospital a few year's back, it was amazing how long it took me to get the strength and agility back in my hands. Opening can was surprisingly difficult for the first few months.

 

[Kemaiku]

I have only minor arthritis and struggled with a particularly awkward can opener the other day, I'd have given anything for a simple electric one, it's hard to enjoy your food when your hands ache from just getting at the damn stuff.

 

[Kestra]

I love our coffee maker. I don't drink coffee, so the old pot always had coffee going to waste. If you have two or more people drinking coffee it makes sense, but making just one cup doesn't happen. It was also a bitch to clean out, plus we were buying filters and well, coffee.

The k-cups are wasteful and I wish they were recyclable. You can get a sort of adaptor type cup to put your own coffee in, we have one of them. But I use the machine for tea or hot cocoa sometimes, or just to have a quick hot cup of water when I'm cooking. I'd also say that the cups are expensive but some are more expensive than others, and it's still a lot cheaper than someone going to Starbucks for a daily coffee.

Ultimately the only thing that really bothers me about the machine is that the cups have to be thrown out rather than recycled, but maybe some of them can be. Other than that I love it!

 

[RoJoHen]

I don't understand the concept of drinking just one cup of coffee. If I'm drinking coffee, I'm drinking at least half a pot!

 

[Kestra]

I sometimes make my husband a cup in a reusable travel mug in the mornings. He can have some while he's getting ready and take it to work. Or sometimes he comes home late and still has work to do so he'll have a cup to help get him through it.

He'd probably drink more coffee if I didn't constantly warn him to not have too much caffeine.

 

[RoJoHen]

Meh, caffeine has no effect on me. I drink coffee because I like it; it has nothing to do with staying alert. I've been known to drink an entire pot right before bed.

 

[Warped9]

On an average workday I'll have perhaps 2-3 cups throughout the day. One in the morning, one after dinner and maybe one during the evening. If I'm home like a day off or during the weekend then I might have four throughout the day. I like my coffee, but I try to watch how much I drink.

For the record I'm quite content with Maxwell House Instant or if I get one outside the house then it's a Tim Horton's or occasionally Starbuck's.

Good points above regarding an electric can opener. Any thoughts regarding an electric carving knife or electric toothbrush?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I have used electric toothbrushes for years. They're not just more convenient, they do a better job of cleaning the teeth.

 

[Timby]

In most places, bottled water.

This guy, DJ Waldow, is a very good friend of mine and fellow digital marketer, and he explains very nicely why you shouldn't use bottled water:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uujfxfXHLFY[/yt]

 

[wissaboo]

bottled water is horrifying. Not only is it not as clean as most tap water in north america is produces massive amounts of pollution in transporting it around the continent. The whole world could have clean water for a fraction of what the western world pays for bottled water.

 

[Kestra]

I've bought bottled water at times when I couldn't really get to another water source and needed water to carry around with me. Most of the time I have an aluminum bottle I carry around, and I take this glass bottle when I go to the gym:

It's cute and has a good message!