If you have never heard of this, you should go check it out now. You can see stuff here (Wikipedia), here and here. The fact that there are places in the world that are plastic islands twice the size of Texas is pretty sad. Especially since we knew this was coming. Scientists predicted this back in 1988. And instead of recycling and not using as much plastic, we hurt the earth/ocean more. So...we shouldn't.
If you don't have reusable grocery bags, buy some. They are super cheap, almost everyone has them now, and they are a very easy way to help save plastic. Plastic bags are evil, even if you reuse them once or twice. They are EVIL! At least get paper bags if you don't use reusables. But seriously, buy reusables.
Recycling
Also, we really all should recycle. I remember back when I was about 10 or 12 I wrote a letter to every governor in the US asking them to make recycling mandatory by law. While that might be a bit much, why don't we have states that come around and pick up recycling bins behind the trash cans? I mean, sure, it would cost a lot to start, but it would be more than worth the money. Either way, we should all recycle. I'm not talking about crazy recycling where you cry if you throw something away. No. Just recycle your cans, bottles, tins, etc. Rinse them out, and place them in a bin. When it gets full, take it to the nearest recycling center. For real. Just do it.
Composting
Another thing we should all do, at least on a small level, is composting. It really isn't that hard. If you aren't a gardener or anything like that, you can still compost. You buy a trash can, drill some holes in it, and stick in your kitchen wastes. If it is fruits, vegetables or egg shells, put it in your compost. You can also shred up junk mail, newspapers and cereal boxes and compost that with your kitchen scrapes. If you don't garden, when your compost is done either give it to someone who does, or just put it in the dirt somewhere.
For real. If everyone recycled the basics, we all started using reusable grocery bags and half of us composted the basics, just think how much waste we wouldn't be putting in smelly, overfilled landfills, dumping into the ocean and killing ourselves with. And if you don't buy into global warming, the fact that it is bad that there is plastic in the ocean and whatnot, then do it to make the people who think it is important happy. It isn't that hard. At all. And do it because it would make Jesus smile.
Peace,
1 comment:
The great recycling program is one of the things I miss most about East Lansing, Mich., where I lived for some years. Each household got a sturdy blue bin and instructions for sorting, and we put out our recyclables in the bin, next to any trash bags. All trash had to be in yellow bags you had to buy from the city for $1 each, so saving money was an incentive to sort out the recyclables and not just throw them in with the trash.
Things have improved here in our Chicago neighborhood...we have a big blue bin for our building and can recycle most things into that. Weird that it all goes in there but they tell us it gets sorted by machines. Better than before, when the blue bags of recycling went into the same trucks as the trash...I never believed the recyclables were actually pulled out.
Our local market takes plastic bags to be recycled, but you're right...using reusable bags is far better.
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