Those of us who have been about for a long time remember the salvage system of the war years and the general attitude of make-do-and-mend in the decades that followed. Very little was bought on the never-never.

Shoes were either repaired at home, or at the cobblers, and most clothes were altered and patched and handed down, with woollies often being unravelled to be knitted into new garments. The food waste was fed to the chickens out the back and the rest went as pig swill. Anything that would burn went on the open fire, though this latter practice caused a number of unwelcome respiratory problems.

In time, the standard of living rose, and with increasing disposable income, more goods were bought and they were changed more often. Some of the discarded items went to charity shops but the majority, still with considerable life in them, were just dumped.

We have now reached the stage where it is often cheaper to buy new garments and pieces of equipment than to repair the old ones. This attitude is confirmed by advertising, the competition between brands, supermarket power, cheaper overseas labour and the availability of credit.

If the whole world was to live in this fashion, we would need the resources of at least three more planets to fuel this insatiable appetite, and as this is impossible, it’s clear that the crunch is fast-approaching. We cannot consume raw materials, energy and resources at this increasing rate for much longer without running out of key products, such as food and oil, and significantly distorting the climate.

I had hoped that the younger generation would lead the charge to a more responsible set of lifestyles and values, particularly as there is now mention of the need somewhere in the education system, but I fear that for most this is not a priority.

Recently, the Bradford Food Bank received donations of food and toiletries from the Rotary Club of Bradford Bronte and the Wetherby Explorer Scouts. Some of their members had picked over the debris left at the end of the recent Leeds Festival where the majority of tents, sleeping bags and cooking gear were left behind by many of the participants as they went home.

Close to 2,000 items of food, tins of beans, soup and meat, as well as noodles and deodorants and the like, were gathered in just a few hours and the search was far from comprehensive.

It’s so disappointing that these music lovers thoughtlessly abandoned this bounty without a concern for its destination in landfill, where the methane produced would contribute to the problems they would face in later years.