Trash

Trash is something that we simply accept as part of modern life. What would we do without disposable ... well, everything?

Think about it. What do you use that can be used only once or a few times?
-paper plates and napkins
-trash bags
-contact lenses
-play programs/church bulletins/class handouts
-plastic bottles and containers (for soap, food, toys, gadgets....)
-aluminum cans
-wrapping paper
-tissues
-"to-go" food and drink containers...

I'm sure I could have thought of more. The average American produces 4.5 pounds of trash every day!! That is just beyond ridiculous. (The problems this creates are also ridiculous: this trash must be either buried or burned, but we're running out of places to bury it, and there's so many chemicals in everything that burning it is literally dangerous. A lot of this waste ends up being shipped to other countries, where poorer people get to deal with it. There is almost literally an island of trash in the Pacific Ocean, wreaking utter havoc on the wildlife and ecosystems there.)

All this trash is just incredibly wasteful. God's creation is not infinite, and filling it with trash does not honor its Creator.

I have stopped using disposable plates/food containers/silverware whenever possible. I have stopped using disposable feminine products. I recycle anything I can. What can you do to lessen what you throw away?





For more information:
-An interesting map showing amount of trash produced per person around the world
-An overview of trash disposal in the US
-A great article about the problems of living disposably
-"Waste: The High Price of Our Dirty Little Habits", a chapter in the book Everyday Justice by Julie Clawson