Written by November 3, 2019

Wasteland: The United States Throw Away Culture

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Photo credit: https://lwvspa.org/

Before I begin, if you are reading this and have the thought about, “what about all the other countries who are way worse than the U.S. in regards to creating trash and plastic waste”, etc., let me tell you…

The U.S. only comprises of 4% of the population on Earth, but produces but produces 11.6% of global municipal waste.

What is municipal solid waste? It, “consists of everyday items we use and then throw away, such as product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint, and batteries. This comes from our homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses” (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

India on the other hand is also producing significant waste at 11.9%, however as a country they comprise of 18% of the world’s population. So let’s avoid pointing fingers, when objectively we in the U.S are screwing the planet badly. So let’s fix the problems in our own home before pointing fingers at the others.

So what is the answer? Recycling you might say… NOPE. There is already a huge abundance of plastic and other garbage flowing through the oceans and landfills. Yes we need to keep recycling but throwing your next plastic bottle in the green recycle bin is not enough. Switch your mindset to REDUCE first and then re-use and recycle after.

When I lived in Wales years ago for my undergraduate studies, we had to separate our trash into various different colored bags and compost. It was a mandate and you could get fined for not doing it. We are in dire need of accountability in the U.S. Re-thinking and action in decreasing our footprint as a country had to have started years ago. Some states and cities such as Vermont and Seattle have already started applying legislation in this area.

Food waste is also a significant problem. I use to think, okay, well food can be composted… Well that can be true IF it is composted properly. About 30% of food is wasted globally across the food chain, which accounts for 8% of total greenhouse emissions. To be honest, this is an area in which I need some improvement upon when it comes to food scraps and leftovers. More to come as I jump into educating myself about composting!

Solutions to Decrease Waste

  • Legislative change- Vote for people who truly care about the environment and measures within your state to protect Mother Earth. We cannot eat money! Running out of clean water and healthy food to eat will lead to a national security crisis.
  • Immediate individual action- Shop at your local farmer’s market (avoid markets like Trader Joe’s who selling almost everything in plastic), use re-useable bags, exercise your privilege of access to clean water by using reusable drinkware only, say no to fast fashion, take your lunch to work, use bar soap/shampoo, re-think your bathroom plastic use, re-use or upcycle things you already have & more! Think about your role as a consumer with each purchase- what/who are you supporting?
  • Immediate corporate action- Write to the sustainability department in your workplace and explore ways to decrease waste. It might take years for your workplace to implement change so why not you to plant the seed? Write to businesses via email or via social media to remind them about their impact and encourage them to make steps in the right direction.
  • Ask your local restaurant to be part of the Surfrider Ocean Friendly Restaurants Program
  • Join an organization, such as Surfrider, Heal the Bay, 5 Gyres Institute, etc. Join an organization you care about today!
  • Education, education, education. The saying goes, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Maybe some people won’t change no matter how much you educate SO let’s start earlier by providing facts and data to the younger generations so that they can start making better decisions at earlier ages. As we have seen with the Youth Climate Marches around the world, our youth are powerful.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
― Gandhi

Thanks for reading!

Peace & Love,

Joanna

References