Culture & SocietyCauses & SolutionsIntermediateHigh Frequency

IELTS Essay: Nowadays, people always throw old things away and buy new things, whereas in ...

Prompt

Nowadays, people always throw old things away and buy new things, whereas in the past, old things were repaired and used again. What factors cause this phenomenon? What effects does the phenomenon lead to?

#consumer behavior#waste and sustainability#planned obsolescence#consumerism#environmental impact

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Band 7 → 9 — Band 7 lists causes and effects separately without deep explanation, while Band 9 traces causal chains (e.g., globalization → cheap goods → throwaway habits → environmental pressure) and links specific consumption patterns to measurable environmental and social effects.

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Key concepts in this essay

Economic factors enabling low-cost production and disposability (global supply chains, labor costs)
Business models relying on planned obsolescence and constant consumption
Psychological and social factors (convenience, status, identity through consumption)
Environmental and resource depletion consequences; societal attitude shift toward waste

Pitfalls the model essay avoids

Attributing throwaway culture purely to individual moral failing rather than systemic incentives (cheap manufacturing, business models, convenience)
Ignoring that some new products are genuinely superior (safety, efficiency, durability) making repair uneconomical
Lacking specificity about *types* of goods (clothing, electronics, furniture) where patterns differ

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