Outline the Argument That Rubbish Is Not Worthless

Outline the argument that rubbish is not worthless.

Essay

In order to postulate that rubbish is not worthless, first we must understand the different types of

value that an item may possess. The first, and perhaps most obvious of these, is its intrinsic value.

This is an item’s usefulness. Can the item be reused or given an alternative use? Next is its normative

value – how does the item represent people’s principles of right and wrong action? Next – aesthetic

value – does it have visual appeal? And finally, Economic – can the item be used to generate profit?

Michael Thompson’s Rubbish Theory: The Creation and Destruction of Value (1979) explored the

metamorphic properties of items, in the way that they may join or leave the category of ‘rubbish’. He argued that there are three different categories of rubbish – transient

objects (those whose value tends to decrease over time, zero-value objects (something virtually noone wants and of little or no intrinsic value), and durable objects (those whose value tends to

increase over time). An item’s value is not necessarily fixed. It may be subject to revaluation, either economic or

aesthetic. Both are subject to public opinion, generally starting with that of one person and the opinion catching on in a more general sense.

The value of any item is a social construction. This means that it depends upon the values of the

society in which it is produced and/or used and disposed of.

An item of intrinsic value could be an item of clothing in good condition, perhaps outgrown by a

child or an unwanted gift, or a book that can be re-read. It has not outlived its usefulness. There may

also be an intrinsic value to worn-out ‘rubbish’ such as kitchen appliances; if the cost of repair is

lower than the profit to be made from resale, it is feasible that many disvalued items may be

reassigned an intrinsic value and reused.

Items of normative value may include a plastic bottle, a tin can or a newspaper – they can be...