Wasting Away
Have you seen the garbage cans lining the street on garbage pick-up day? I’m always amazed by the sheer magnitude of what we throw away; much of it being packaging and wrappers. It’s not just packaging and wrappers, but food – lots of it. A big proportion of it is sent down the garburator, but it makes its way into the landfill as well. Ever eat at Cheesecake Factory? I’m not sure I know of anyone who can finish a meal there. I think they must fill two dumpsters a night with the leftovers scrapped off people’s plates. When you stop and think about everything that is required to bring that food to the table, it’s astonishing. The fields need plowing, the greenhouses irrigated, fertilizer dispersed, trucks to distribute, and the labour required to complete the process – and then we scoop it into the dumpster. Wow!
As we get older we tend to reflect on the values we were taught as children. I remember my mom saving every worn-out shirt and pair of pants I ever had – and she would cut the less worn pieces into attractive shapes using a cardboard template she had, and over the course of a few days she’d make a “new” quilt or blanket. My dad was a mechanic – he never went to Canadian Tire to buy shop rags – he used pieces of worn out towels or facecloths, rather than discarding those. Very little went into the garbage.
With the world population continuing to grow, and more and more talk of how humans are destroying the planet, I can’t help but think that some of the habits of yesteryear may help. If we reused more and made a point of buying products with minimal packaging, perhaps it would make a difference. If we don’t do this then the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ will continue to grow. If you haven’t heard of it, you’ll be amazed (and disgusted). Check out this article or try Google – you won’t believe how many articles will pop up in response to your query.
Get Rid of It
Over the last few years I have become quite interested in minimalist living – which is to say that while it is something I strive for, I’m not even close. You know what I mean – 3 children still living at home for the most part; kids have friends, and like many of you we’d prefer that our kids and their friends be at our house watching a movie or hanging out as opposed to the alternative. I have made some attempts at downsizing in the past, but there is always a lot of stuff that falls into the category of “I might need this someday . . .”
What inspires me most is thoughtful articles like the one I’ve posted below; it caused me to say to Coral, “We need to refocus on our goal of minimalist living”. Huge thanks to Matt for sharing this piece by Robert Ringer, which really puts into perspective the absurdity of keeping “stuff.”
Click here to read the article and in future I’ll be posting more of the same. I’d love it if you’d share your comments and perspectives.