Yes, I understand that recycling programs are huge all over the nation. And I would be the first to argue that Americans and some American companies are on the leading edge of recycling, reusing, and repurposing garbage. You can see it all over the place from your local recycling program to upstart companies like TerraCycle. Still, David over at The Good Human writes a good article talking about how recycling is not what it used to be. From the article:
We replace perfectly fine household electronics because ours is not the “new” kind, we buy new cell phones every few months, we only keep cars for a few years (which I have certainly been guilty of!), and we are sold so many single-use items that I don’t even know if anyone knows how to use a washable mop/sponge/diaper anymore. We buy cheap clothing by the bundle and it only lasts a few months before it is either out of style or torn to shreds. Products are bought, used for a short time, and thrown away.
David is right on point. Think about how many times you’ve throw away or gotten rid of a pair of jeans or a t-shirt because it wasn’t considered in style any more. Or how many times have you purchased a new item when you had a similar item at home that worked perfectly fine? Believe it or not, I think that the current economic downturn is helping to lessen this phenomenon. Not many people have the disposable cash any more to go out and purchase another pair of jeans or another can opener or another set of tupperware containers, etc. You get the picture.
The Good Human also talks about how we buy new cell phones and other electronic consumer goods every few years. This is where a good group like TerraCycle comes in and actually recycles this waste into usable products. They’ve created a trash can that is made of broken up consumer electronics. They’ve even mashed together old newspapers to create pencils. Very impressive. A better solution, though, might be to reduce the fickleness of the American consumer so that they aren’t going crazy to buy the latest and greatest cell phones every few years…
One of the small ways that I’ve dramatically reduced my inclination to be the typical American consumer and buy, buy, buy is to look around my “stuff” for items that can still be used. The two examples that pop into my mind are with writing implements and notebook paper. A few years ago I took a small pitcher and began putting my writing implements in it. Every time I found a pen or pencil in a drawer or in a box, I’d throw it in the pitcher. Now the thing is full and I haven’t purchased any new pens or pencils in years. I use my writing implements until they run dry and then I recycle them (if possible – pencil stubs I usually throw in the fire). When I began as an adjunct professor a few years ago, I went through my old college files and found literally reams of notebook paper just sitting there, unused in old notebooks. Instead of letting this paper sit there and rot, I began collecting it and having students use it to write out their essays on their midterm and final exams. Why use up blue books or new paper if there is perfectly good paper just sitting in the closet?
Anyway, just something to consider the next time you’re out at the store and wondering whether or not you want to buy that extra mousepad when you have three old ones at home or another pack of pens when you probably have dozens of loose pens snuck away in different areas of your house.
