We Have Work To Do

Alright, folks. It’s time we had a talk. What the f*(%! are we going to do about our trash problem?

It’s not just about throwing shit in a bin and calling it recycling anymore. In many cases, these piles of “recycling” are shipped across the world – using fossil fuels to be taken care of there – or it ends up in a landfill with the garbage from the bin next to it. And while it’s not our fault that this is the current system in place and we’ve been given a life (at least in capitalism) that is completely reliant on non-biodegradable materials such as plastic or Styrofoam. But it is up to us to stop feeding it. That’s why the recycling plan has always been the three Rs:

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

and in more modern times has taken on a U:

Upcycle

Since we can no longer rely on recycling to solve the issue of excessive waste, it’s time we got a bit more creative. How can you reduce your waste this week? It sounds silly when you hear someone tell you to “skip the straw” when all you can think about is the many oil spills caused by gas companies in damn near every ocean of the world. I know it sucks, and it’s hard to remember those turtles who are getting jammed in the face with straws on the daily. It doesn’t feel like your fault, how could we put responsibility of this mass destruction on the individual? But think about it! If a person were to eat out for every meal in a day and ordered a cold drink each time, that would be three straws a day. Skipping three straws is so arbitrary, isn’t it? Is it even making a difference to do this? Will anyone notice? Will I save a turtle’s life? Who knows?!

You just have to think, if there were a million people using three straws a day willing to go one day without straws, that is 3 million less straws ending up in a landfill that day. Now think about how realistic it is for a person to use three straws in a day. You order an iced coffee at breakfast, you order the combo with a soft drink at lunch, you have a water at dinner, and maybe order a cocktail. That’s four! To think there are probably at least a million people doing the same exact thing—not to mention stopping for a slushie on your way home from work, buying a bag of straws for the birthday party this weekend, et freakin’ cetera! Do you realize what an astronomical amount of straws that really is?

And don’t get me wrong, I know there are a ton of legitimate reasons people might need to use a straw. But if you don’t have one, then why not? Is giving up an unappreciated luxury really so hard for you to do? Let it be a ripple effect and see how low we can get the demand. For the turtles, if you have to.

This is just the beginning. It’s one idea. Imagine if every smoker in the world invested in a reusable lighter. We don’t have to crunch numbers again; you can already imagine what that would be like. Think about how many times a week the average ~smoker~ loses a lighter or has it taken from them, and they turn around a buy a new one the same day they got it. We have to stop thinking in the short term. We have to stop giving them a reason to amp production up so high! And the more we succumb to consumerism, the harder it gets. I find it difficult to wrap my head around some of the commonplace practices we have here in the US. Like we buy so much of our food in glass and plastic containers just to throw them out. But then we actually spend money on other “better” glass and plastic containers, often to hold food in. Stop that! I get that sometimes it’s hard to remove that pickled smell from the pickle jar, but you don’t have anything that you wouldn’t mind smelling like vinegar? Why not put your spaghetti back into the sauce jar? You’d stop staining your Tupperware if you did. Just saying! What I find even more chaotic is that the very small selection of food that isn’t pre-packaged, we actively put in more plastic. Then we get to the check-out line and put the plastic in more plastic. And at some point, it got so out of control that no one noticed how awful of a cycle we got ourselves in.

Don’t you wash your produce, anyway? Maybe you can just bring it home without a bag. Have a cat? Try reusing the produce bags at the litter box. And maybe if you don’t have any particularly good reason not to, you can ask for a paper bag at check-out. It is always an option even if no one is taking it. I promise.

If you can’t seem to live without it, or can’t think of a way to reuse it, perhaps you can consider changing it into something completely new. As someone who does shop retail, I typically just give my clothes back to donations centers when I’ve moved on. Clothing swaps are a great alternative to thrift shops if you can’t find one you like. But reinventing your old clothes into new looks is an even more efficient way of knocking two birds with one stone (not that we condone the stoning of anyone, including birds). Imagine how forward-thinking and iconic it would be if you learned how to sew or even took the easy way out and got some fabric glue. Turn a shirt into a skirt. Turn your pants into a purse! If you’re feeling really bold, there are plenty of ways to take literal trash and turn it into super cute jewelry. It’s all so possible!

Don’t let anyone make you feel bad about this stuff. Too many people laugh at these personal efforts for better societal practices. If we don’t take the initiative, who will? You might get called some kind of names involving the words “liberal”, “hippie”, “tree hugger”, “idealist”, or a slew of other intentionally hateful terms. You got to ignore it. Honestly, it’s just sad that this whole environmental stance became its own political party, only to be mocked and ridiculed over time. So many people from varying backgrounds were involved in starting the environmental movement back in the 60s and 70s, and yet these days it has become some kind of joke to anyone who doesn’t completely align with the Green Party. We have proof that we are actively doing things that are toxic not only to humans but the entire global ecosystem, but yeah. Let’s keep talking politics...

Just try to show some love and compassion for Our Mother as you continue on this complicated journey we know as the human experience. One good decision today can set the standard of decisions tomorrow.