In defense of "wasteful" Industrialized Western societies, we generate so much garbage keeping it all on hand for other uses would get real gross real quick.
And you can't even really blame us for producing garbage. It's a neccesary product of our advanced technology and achievements. In order to have all the cool stuff we do, we need money to fund the research and developement, be it private enterprise or government funded. Private enterprise needs to make money to fund research, governments need to tax people who make money.
Industrialization is the best way for a company to turn a profit, and it also makes more jobs, people who make money for their government to tax.
Now, to be fair, we probably could streamline and refine our socio-economic structure, but the fact remains, if you want the benefits our way of life can provide, you're gonna have waste, and other trade-offs.
Don't get me wrong. I respect those who wish to live a tribal life in the tradition of their ancestors. I myself am a primitive hunter, and can survive in any of the ecosystems in my native Florida for any length of time. Be it the swamp, scrub, estuarine, or open ocean. (Yes, a human can survive on the ocean without the benefit of modern society. Not the most secure way of life, but possible. If you're wondering how you keep from getting gobbled by sharks, you gather a lot of seaweed into a giant mat and make your own little island. Trouble is, they require much maintainence, as currents and storms try to tear them apart. Like I said, it ain't easy. But it IS possible.)