When we had open fires, a lot of what goes in the rubbish today was burned. The pets ate the food scraps and the leftovers that weren't composted. Even ladies sanitary products were burned.
Regular bonfires for garden waste, cardboard, anything and everything that would burn, no council collections for that and no tutting neighbours complaining.
Old clothes went to jumble sales, knitted clothes were unravelled and re-knitted.
Of course our food wasn't pre-packaged in plastic and I try very hard not to buy food packaged in that way.
It wasn't all better back in the day. I no longer see rainbows in the gutters from leaking cars, nor lots of dog poo (white dog poo has disappeared altogether), nor piles of fag ends deposited in the gutter by smoking motorists. I certainly don't miss the fag fug in pubs, theatres, cinemas, buses, planes, everywhere.