I''''''''m sick of my children being handed balloons every time they enter a shopping centre. They can cope with half an hour of schlepping around for groceries without being given a handful of non-recyclable, resource-guzzling, atmosphere-polluting petrochemical.

I''''''''m sick of real estate ads that are two pages of high-density colour on glossy paper - it''''''''s still only one house. Don''''''''t even get me started on the individualised non-reusable signs out the front of houses for sale - I''''''''m not stupid; I would still understand a smaller, simpler, reusable ''''''''''''''''For sale''''''''''''''''.

I''''''''m sick of toys packaged in more plastic than the toy is made of. I hate the massive empty space around toys to make them appear bigger and better. Space in the box requires space in transit, on the shelf, in storage - so we need bigger shelves, more resources, more, more, more …

I''''''''m sick of convenience foods that contain multiple packets inside a bigger packet. I open them up and see landfill, toxic waste from their production, and the depletion of water resources to make them.

I''''''''m sick of companies trying to squeeze that little bit more profit from their competitors'''''''' coffers by offering free CDs or DVDs with their product - yes, even high-quality news providers have fallen in the trap. I don''''''''t need or want any of them. I never watch them. They just take up my ever-decreasing space. I look at them and contemplate the metal that was mined to produce them and the toxins spewed into the atmosphere for my kids to breathe, all for no purpose whatsoever.

I''''''''m sick of the environmental programs that advertise by mail. I have the low-flow showerhead, I have the right globes, yet I still receive these meaningless exhortations to toe the environmental line. I''''''''m there already. Show some environmental responsibility yourself. Note that I have already partaken of your offer and stop wasting resources to contact me over and over unnecessarily.

I''''''''m sick of the people who talk the talk but need to update their showcase homes incessantly. Every instance of someone getting a new knick-knack or updating the curtains or towels because they are ''''''''''''''''so last season'''''''''''''''' is needlessly, wantonly, thoughtlessly making the problem worse.

Are people not aware that we can''''''''t expect governments to fix the problem when we are pigs at the trough? The next time you acquire something, think what it will really cost.

Joy Elizabeth