Went to lunch... noticed people using small containers and lids for condiments. Saran-wrapped sandwiches. Hard plastic (non-recyclable) containers for pre-made food. Ate a curry dish in a ceramic bowl with a silver fork in the cafeteria with a colleague. She also chose to eat there because she'd gotten soup in a ceramic bowl and was worried about spilling it if she took it to eat at her desk. As we ate, we discussed how nondisposable living invites sitting down for lunch at a table meant for eating. Meanwhile, a steady stream of people took waxed paper cups at nearby soda dispensers. We noticed that the washable ones weren't as visibly placed.
Used the restroom... Grabbed a paper towel. (Forgot) Not a big deal, except that they're typically used once then tossed. These used to be trees.
After work... got a package for something I'd ordered online. Cardboard box with packaging tape and a label made of thick sticky stuff. The product I ordered came in glass, but with plastic caps. There are plastic caps everywhere. I don't know if these are recyclable, but I did learn today that in my municipality, if you leave the caps on plastic recyclables, they recycle them. That didn't used to be the case.
It's amazing what there is to notice.
On the back of the toothpaste that I've been using for a long time, for example, I noticed a logo for the first time this morning:
Apparently, I can send this tube back. The toothpaste manufacturer participates in Terracycle, which has reclaimed 176,930 items through this program. Sounds like a lot -- but considering that the U.S. population is over 310 million, and each of us uses multiple disposable products -- it's not.
The good news: they also take cell phones, Britta water filtering pitchers, scotch tape dispensers, potato chip bags, energy bar wrappers....
Who knew?
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