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The Litter Bug
Jan. 5th, 2012 10:45 pmYears ago, I was walking with a guy who was drinking a cup of coffee or some such. I don't remember the specifics. I just remember that when he was through, he tossed the cup or wrapper or what-have-you onto the ground. I pointed to a trash can.
"Why would you litter when there's a garbage can right there?"
"I do it out of social consciousness," he said.
I looked at him, perplexed. "What do you mean?"
"If I threw it in the garbage, where would it end up? It would end up tied up inside a plastic bag, tossed onto a truck, and then taken away to a landfill where it would be buried amongst other tied-up garbage bags, unable to compost or break down. At least when I do it this way, it has a chance of breaking down. It's more honest."
You know, he had a point, asshole of an environmentalist that he may be. That being said, I try to limit my use of non-compostable materials. I try to avoid disposable items. I carry a steel water bottle around with me. I throw my recyclable wrappers in recycle bins, and hope that the way these plastics are recycled aren't by them being sent to off be melted into nurdles. And if I'm out in the woods eating a banana or an apple or even a pork chop, I'll throw the peel, core, or bone off into a bush where some critter will eat it or it will eventually get turned into soil and not be underfoot.
But I still won't throw paper, metel, and plastic trash on the ground. I guess I'm dishonest.
"Why would you litter when there's a garbage can right there?"
"I do it out of social consciousness," he said.
I looked at him, perplexed. "What do you mean?"
"If I threw it in the garbage, where would it end up? It would end up tied up inside a plastic bag, tossed onto a truck, and then taken away to a landfill where it would be buried amongst other tied-up garbage bags, unable to compost or break down. At least when I do it this way, it has a chance of breaking down. It's more honest."
You know, he had a point, asshole of an environmentalist that he may be. That being said, I try to limit my use of non-compostable materials. I try to avoid disposable items. I carry a steel water bottle around with me. I throw my recyclable wrappers in recycle bins, and hope that the way these plastics are recycled aren't by them being sent to off be melted into nurdles. And if I'm out in the woods eating a banana or an apple or even a pork chop, I'll throw the peel, core, or bone off into a bush where some critter will eat it or it will eventually get turned into soil and not be underfoot.
But I still won't throw paper, metel, and plastic trash on the ground. I guess I'm dishonest.
