Too often the tendency is to look at subjects as black and white, good and bad, trash and recycling. Life doesn’t fit into those neat little categories and neither does waste. There are shades of grey, just as there are several different ways of dealing with waste. If, as is becoming more and more common, the goal is Zero Waste, it is absolutely necessary to begin thinking of litter in new and novel ways.
First thing’s first, get rid of the notion that recycling is the preferred outlet for waste. It’s a wonderful thing to do, but you may be surprised to find out that it’s actually the last resort! Sending trash to the landfill is not an option when Zero Waste is the goal. Recycling is great, considering that a landfill is the alternative, because at least it ensures that some of the materials will be repurposed…
How certain are you that your recycling gets recycled? There are the urban legends, those news reports and even the first hand testimonies from neighbors who swear they’ve seen the garbage man mix the recycling with the regular trash, and laughing maniacally as he does it. Those fears are becoming a reality now more than ever as the China embargo is set to displace 111 million tons of recycled waste.
However, even without this paradigm shift in waste management, the philosophy behind recycling is misinformed. When someone recycles, they give up their power. They rely on forces outside of themselves to make sure that it gets sorted, cleaned, melted, and finally reused for new products. The trick to making Zero Waste work is that everyone needs to take personal responsibility and accountability, to act as if they are the only thing standing in between plastic and a seagull’s belly.
The first line of defense is to Refuse refuse: “Just say no.” No to paper, no to plastic, no to anything and everything. Whatever it is, you don’t need it. By refusing a product, not only are you doing all you could possibly do to prevent that product from ending up in a landfill, but you’re also reducing the demand for it so the manufacturer has less of an incentive to make more of it in the future. You’ll soon find that you do actually need some things (e.g. food, water, shelter, purpose, love), but if you start with the mindset of “No, thank you,” you’ll be amazed by how much clutter gets cut out automatically.
Then it’s time to cut out the clutter intentionally. Reduce your dependence on the outside world. Psychologists have discovered that very often there is a compulsive nature to shopping. Endorphins get released when something new is acquired. There’s a rush associated with newness, until that shine grows dull, and then the shopaholic must seek out another fix. Add to that the fact that “things” are often used as substitutes to fulfill mental, spiritual or emotional needs, shopping in this way very much meets the criteria of an addiction. This step requires a lot of courage and honesty; given the culture of instant satisfaction in modern society, of online shopping and next day deliveries, everyone can do with a little self-inventory here and there.
Now, finally -after the sacrifice and that long, hard look in the mirror- it’s time
for a little fun. Reuse what you’ve got, because there’s a lot of life left in it yet! Artists have been doing it for decades in a ground-breaking and environmentally-friendly medium called “found object artwork”. This is where a painter, sculptor, musician or theatrical personality uses bottle caps for eyeballs, buckets for drums, and rusty bike wheels for a futuristic machine that does who-knows-what. Flex your imagination and be a little creative with the objects in your home. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is to stay away from plastic as much as possible, and instead stick with materials made of glass or metal.
You may be wondering, “Now? Can I recycle yet?” Hold your horses, cowboy. This is somewhat of a throwaway step, because a banana peel will Rot whether it’s in a landfill or in a compost heap. Nevertheless, why not take the opportunity to not only keep from harming the environment, but actually improving it? Use your biodegradable waste to enrich the soil in your own backyard or donate it to the hungry plants in your community garden. If you’re keen on it, and you’ve got a strong stomach, you can even try some far-out ideas like keeping a worm bin.
Alright, you made it! Go ahead and Recycle. At this point, you shouldn’t have anything left for the trash bin. If you do, you’re not at Zero Waste… yet. Look at what’s left and ask yourself some questions. Did I need that? Where did I get it? Could I have gotten a different item that would have been a greener solution? If you get to this point enough, it’s inevitable that you’ll reach the gold standard in eco-friendliness.
