When looking through my trash bag this morning filled with all of the objects I threw away yesterday, I found a gum wrapper, two paper napkins, three water bottles, one orange juice bottle, three make-up remover wipes, and a can of red bull. In pondering the question, “Where was it impossible not to make trash?” I found no legitimate answer regarding the trash I used yesterday (Sunday). I could have certainly done without the gum and the two paper napkins, especially because I have cloth napkins at home. But I guess bad habits caused me to grab the more easily accessible paper napkins on the counter instead of the cloth napkins folded in a drawer. And as for the red bull, I certainly could have done without it as well. Although I guess it is impossible to a drink red bull without using a can, the generally better alternative would be to simply not drink the red bull (likewise with similar canned/bottled drinks). These drinks are more or less just as harmful to our bodies as their containers are to our planet. Moreover, I definitely could have done without the first water bottle. I quickly grabbed it out of the refrigerator on my way out the door; however, I could have just as easily put water from my refrigerators mini water fountain into a canteen. On the other hand, because I was at a concert on Sunday night, I did not have access to water other than through the water bottles being sold inside the venue. And on top of that, there was no way to refill the water bottles. Also, in realizing that I had used three make-up remover wipes in one day, I decided I should shift from using make-up remover wipes to applying liquid make-up remover to an old wash cloth and taking my make-up off that way. And I can recycle the bottle once I have used it all. Having learned from my mistakes yesterday, I used a canteen for my water today, did not drink anything from a can or bottle and did not chew gum. However, I did use two napkins in the cafeteria, as I completely forgot about bringing an alternative with me until I was already inside!
-Michaela Pickett
No comments:
Post a Comment