Living Trash Free
Three years ago, I heard on the radio the tale of a British couple who lived trash-free. Walking home from my laboratory, I told ray roommate that I could also do that and I’d start soon. “No,” he said. “If you care about this, you start today.” Just like that, I began an experiment of a trash-free life in the face of large environmental problems.
The average American produces about four pounds of trash per day, about 1,500 pounds per year. In my first year of living trash-free, I produced less than eight pounds of waste. In year two, I made it down to six pounds—about 0.4 percent of the American average. That was an accomplishment of my experiment.
To get there, I needed to change the way I lived. I collected my waste, such as concert tickets, packaging and glass, and didn’t throw it away. I knew my experiment wouldn't make much difference, but I felt I should do it. Since unnecessary consumption existed everywhere, I had to get creative. When a restaurant furnished a napkin-wrapped fork and knife, I asked the waiter to give me a set without the napkin. I carried a fork, a spoon, a plate and a bowl wherever I went, just in case the food was served only with plastic to eat with. Sometimes it was awkward.
The hardest part was figuring out the best way to talk about what I was doing. It is important to speak to people in a language they understand from their background. Also, big issues such as trash and recycling are tied to other big issues such as economic growth and climate change. So, as I wrote about the experiment on reducing trash, I had to discuss economy, peace, poverty, and so on. It was much harder to explain all that than simply announcing myself as a vegetarian, for instance.
Sometimes I failed, as some people didn’t see the need of my experiment. More often, though, people gave me their support. The experiment inspired others to do similar experiments on their own. A couple of friends in Ann Arbor are doing it for a year. Their efforts have paid off. Ann Arbor has become one of the most environmentally conscious cities in America. When I visit that city now, I can get nearly all of my food unpackaged. There are several great secondhand stores I can go to, if I really need something. I can get shoes and tools that don’t come in paper or plastic boxes.
Humans have caused terrible problems: The polar ice caps are melting, and the oceans are full of trash. My project did not reshape those trends. But my views on consumption and social change had an impact. My experiment of trash-free life allowed me to answer the question of how we stand up in the face of large environmental problems. I am convinced each individual can help to create examples and communities of change.
