1964: "Throw It Away" Culture in the USA | Tonight Special | Classic BBC Documentary | BBC Archive

Comments · 640

• FR

  @franzelias5368 · 1 year ago

  To think this kind of waste has been going in for more than sixty years is mind blowing.

  170

• HI

  @HiddenPolitics1 · 1 year ago

  household appliances got more durable in the 70s and 80s, then it went downhill again

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• AJ

  @ajs41 · 1 year ago

  I don't think Trevor was a fan of American consumerism.

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• TO

  @tonyprichard2377 · 1 year ago

  I'm restoring a 1964 Cadillac as we speak so not all of them are forgotten!

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• GO

  @googleusergp · 1 year ago (edited)

  As an example, I have not bought a lawn mower since 1992 and I still have that machine. I find them tossed to the curb and get them running with little effort and TLC. Same with a lot of other things. I maintain a property with equipment that came from the curb, right down to the rake I use over there. The handle was broken. I took out the old handle and used a broom handle I had and secured it to the rake. I now have a nice long handled rake for free. <br><br>The list goes on and on. It has to work correctly when I&apos;m done fixing it.

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• JO

  @jowett467 · 1 year ago

  Fascinating insight into the birth of consumerism.

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• SC

  @ScoSal.1967 · 1 year ago

  The world is drowning in its own consumerism.

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• BA

  @bardo0007 · 1 year ago

  That 64 model Cadillac looks more advanced than some cars today &nbsp; &nbsp;😃

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• TH

  @the-analog-jawa · 1 year ago

  Back when this was made, plastic bottles and products hadn&apos;t yet risen to the point at which they are now, and it was incredibly common to keep your glass bottles, and take them back to the store after use, where they would be recycled. Amazing how we had a better system of recycling before it was even a priority.

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• MI

  @michaelragusa5138 · 1 year ago (edited)

  It is just as true in 2025 as it was in 1964.

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• MR

  @MrMenefrego1 · 9 months ago

  American-made appliances from the 1950s to the 1970s were built to last as long as the current technology allowed. When the majority of manufacturing moved to Japan and, especially, China, quality and longevity purposefully waned. My father bought an American-made Zenith TV in 1971, and he was still using it when he died in 2009. I have it in my basement, and it still works just fine. Of course, it doesn&apos;t get any signal, but we use it for our old VCR tapes. All American appliances were built with durability in mind.

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• LY

  @LynxStarAuto · 1 year ago

  There is a big difference between throw it away because it&apos;s actually cheaper and more valuable to buy a new car (because a new car costed 5% of your annual salary). VS throw it away because the manufacturer doesn&apos;t support it anymore, you can&apos;t get parts, or you can&apos;t fix it because the manufacturer locks you out. Which is what&apos;s happening today.

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