Who has more responsibility for the environment? Big Business or the consumer?

Question

I feel Big Business/Manufacturers should take more responsibility for what happens in the end to their dead products by figuring out a way consumers can get rid of them at the end of their useful life. I feel Manufacturers need to cut down on packaging so we have less to "recycle."

Answer 1

Agree.  Do you see how many fasteners and plastic tabs are on kids toys.  It takes more than 10 minutes, plyers and scissors to open a kids toy.  Gum bands around things plus metal twist ties then another plastic covering!  Crazy

Answer 2

Many think that it is ultimately the consumer.

I agree to a certain point.

Manufacturers have many suppliers and from paint to metals to plastics and so forth.

The manufacturer may not be a polluter but the suppliers of raw materials may be a big environmental abusers.

Really do we need an item or not?

Is self satisfaction the goal of this generation or can we move beyond the hippie turned selfish yuppie consumerism and hypocrisy on America of late?

Answer 3

I feel it is the  dual responsibility of business and the consumer. The consumer most do their part by using as many environmentally safe products as is feasible for their needs and only buy from business/manufactures that also follow strict guidelines to insure that their product is as environmentally friendly as possible.

By supporting these company we all gain!

Answer 4

Big business. 6th grade students planting trees is cute, but has zero impact on the global problem.

Answer 5

To coin a common a phrase; "Each one of us can be an Army of One". The most effective level of change is at the level we each can control.

Remember the 3 Rs; Reduce, Refuse, Reuse

Reduce is the easiest, take what you need and leave the rest.

Can a 3,000 pound vehicle with 35 mpg get you from point A to point B as well as a 7,500 pound vehicle that gets 8 mpg?

Refuse can be the toughest, because it often means living with out something in protest. Like becoming a vegetarian.

Reuse is not just recycling, a used car or shopping at a consignment shop is a great form of recycling.

Answer 6

everyone has an equal responsibility IMO.  big business can do their part but it is pointless if the consumer throws recycleable product in the landfill.  in order for the system to work everybody has to do their part.

Answer 7

Both are equally responsible. Corporations produce what the consumer demands. You should watch "The Corporation." It made me never want to buy anything ever again!! You can download it for free here. It's very good. It won at the Sundance Film Festival!

http://www.freedocumentaries.org/film.ph...

Just to clarify, the trailer can be seen on the site above. You have to download it from that site to see the whole thing. Please watch it. It's life-changing.

Answer 8

INDIVIDUALS!  Corporations cater to the individuals, remember that.  And if, as consumers, we would simpy demand more out of businesses - we'd get it.  But you'd rather not spend that extra $5.00 on the cost of your new DVD player to go towards an in-store recycling program.  Too many people like their freedom more than that $100 fill-up on their SUV and don't carpool.  If people carpooled more, there could be a symbiotic relationship to benefit the carpoolers, the environment, and the roads.  And these programs are currently funded between local cities and employers across the country -- but why isn't this more widespread?  My city doesn't even offer curbside recycling and I do not live in the boonies... my local recycling center only recycles 2 color glass, some paper, some pastic, and some metals.  A bunch of citizens complained enough and the city has at least sent out a survey in November to see how many people would be interested.  So, the moral of the story is -- the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  Big business will always be big business...

Answer 9

I think its 50/50.  If people don't consume so much manufacturers won't make so much.  I agree that manufacturers need to cut down on packaging but they also need to stop making thing like CD players that always break at about 18 months two years.

Answer 10

Definitely manufacturers... packaging is ridiculously overloaded. For example, the other day I bought an organic Thai curry noodle lunch. [dehydrated] It was shrink-wrapped, then under the plastic was a cardboard pagoda, with four plastic envelopes... and the directions called for a bowl and cling wrap before I could make it.

And the #$%#$ blister packaging... thieves might know how to open it quickly, but does every honest consumer haver suffer because of retailer paranoia?

Answer 11

Both, the consumer has to be careful about what they buy and the manufacterer has to not pollute the air.

Answer 12

THE BEST way to consider this is probably asking who impacts the environment the greatest by their actions/lack of actions. A good question in this case due to the fact that an argument can be made that collectively, the consumer has  a greater impact on the environment, OR we can try to guess that certain companies impact the environment greater by their production process and creation of their product that doesn't bio-degrade.

That's a tough one to estimate, and I'll cite an example. The end consumer of gasoline uses the product in the exact manner it was intended and designed.  In CA, we have laws for higher air quality standards, so the product is reformulated to meet those laws. STILL, I would argue the responsibility lies more on the consumer to limit usage of the product to help the environment.  I can carpool, take the bus, ride a bike, etc etc.  It would be more inconvenient for me to avoid this product, just like it might be to avoid a styrofoam cup that big business made less recyclable than it could have been made thus eliminating the need for ME to make sure I drop it into a recycling bin.

I would give other examples, but I think that is clear enough to carry over into most other products/exapmles. I hope others have thoughts too.