As I was looking for my class "Show and Tell" piece I came across this video:
Last semester in Intro to Urban Ecology we talked about the face that there is no “away." I, as I am sure you as well, use the phrase "throw away" on a daily basis.
I see a piece of plastic and I toss it in the trash can, where all useless things go. It's trash, it served its purpose and now has no further use. After watching this video my eyes were opened, and I was reminded of the "away" principle I was taught last semester. There is no away.
I throw a piece of trash away, but where does it go? Most of the time in a trash can which hides it from my view, and masks any potential scent. I empty that trash can into a larger garbage can so a dumpster truck can pick it up, and take it "away" to a refinery or landfill.
Is it "away" from me? Yeah, at least for that moment, but it's not truly away. It could come back by acid rain, toxins in water, stench on a windy day, disease from degraded environments of people or animals, and so many other ways. It's never really away!
This video brings value to our everyday trash. The thing I use, might have outworn its use in that form, but what other good could come of it? Next time you place something in your "trash can" think how else it could be used, or what more could come of it! Every pebble has a purpose.
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