Apparently the average household produces one to one and a half tons of rubbish a year, while a one person household produces up to eight hundred kilograms per a year. And where does all this rubbish go? Some goes to be recycled and comes back to life as either the same thing or a different-but-similar thing, while most ends up in a hole in the ground and then covered with soil in the hopes that it will sort itself out.
Now, plastic does not degrade like other substances. Instead it sits there and gets smaller and smaller until it finds its way into the water we drink, the food we eat, and even the beer we drink. And even then, it doesn’t degrade.
This weekend, Simone and I attended The Rubbish Trip, hosted by a Wellington couple who have reduced their total yearly waste to a single shopping bag and a couple of wine bottles. And it was fascinating and full of practical advice. Everything from taking your own container to get take-out, to making your own shampoo and toothpaste. But don’t worry, we’re probably not going to go that far that we’re making our own deodorant. Probably…
What it did do for us, was to highlight just how much we throw away on a day-to-day basis. We open a box of chocolates, and then open the plastic bag in the box, and then unwrap each. individual. chocolate. Does that not seem like madness to you?
We’re going to try reduce our waste. And luckily there are some places here in Napier that allow package free shopping, so we’re going to give that a bash. And while old people will still sit and argue over the heat death of our planet, we’re going to be doing something about it. Every little bit helps.
I have more thoughts on this topic, so there’ll probably be another post one at some point when I’ve have time to gather more of my thoughts. In the mean time, have you thought about trying to go rubbish free? Or maybe just cutting down on what you throw away?
After all, every little bit helps.
