We all do it everyday . . . you finish your coffee from Starbucks, or unwrap a piece of gum, or get something delivered in the mail and then PLOP! There it goes, right into the trash or recycling. But, did it need to be that way? Did that cucumber need to be wrapped in plastic? Will that plastic container actually get fully recycled? Why, as a society, is it so acceptable to do the PLOP?
Why is garbage on my mind?
Tons of studies, articles, and TikToks have been exposing me to how we a species have a giant problem with waste. Canada is a laggard internationally, with a per capita waste contribution of 720kg. Of this, only 25% makes it to recycling centers.
A couple months ago, I encountered this video about a family that can limit their waste to a small jar. And, I was FASCINATED and have thought about it ever since. Now that we have this time to explore free inquiry in our EDCI 336 class at UVic, I knew this was what I wanted to research.
Across the world, people have been taught that when we “recycle” that they are doing their part. What plenty of people don’t know is that depending on the product, that may or may not actually occur. While almost of the aluminum sent to the recycling actually gets recycled, 91% of single-use plastics sent to the recycling actually gets sent to the landfill.
Instead of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” . . . “Reduce, Reduce, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” may be a better line of thought. The Zero Waste (or Low Waste) movement represents a growing trend of people who are analyzing all of their decisions, actively doing their best to minimize and reduce their carbon footprint.
“Zero waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”
– Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA)
How I’m going to throw out my habits:
Over the next ten weeks, I plan to do the following to take you on my Less Waste journey:
- Assess the Damage: AKA the trash diaries, watch as I comb through my trash and face what I create in a week.
- Baby Steps: Join me as I research basic ways to face my daily habits and be prepared to say no to single-use waste.
- Do More, With Less: Whether it be online recipes to make my own cleaner or visiting the Zero Waste grocery store, we will explore more advanced ways to reduce waste.
- Take a Step Back: AKA trash diary 2.0 the remix, watch as we assess how much I have been able to decrease my weekly waste over the term.