Trash Inventory Spreadsheet (Since Open Office doesn't allow conversion to jpg)
I need to send Mother Nature a biodegradable apology basket of some sorts. After begrudgingly tallying ever article of waste I disposed of, I came to a shocking revelation: I'm the person Merkel is trying to change. Granted, since I am not old enough to have a steady cash flow I may not be able to indulge myself in consumerism as much as the average American adult but my wastefulness is quite extreme. It surprised even me.
Now before this exercise I did not think I was a conservative person; however, I never thought I was this wasteful. Upon evaluating my trash inventory results I am definitely most wasteful than I expected to be. The one area that made up, no joke, 91 % of my trash consisted of paper products. Majority of this was produced by paper towel and paper napkin usage. I do, however, have a few hunches as to why my trash in this particular area was so high. For one, although I technically am "paying" for the paper products through what I pay in tuition, it's not a direct correlation. I'm not having to take out my wallet, go to the store and by paper products every time I run out. Therefore, without seeing my cash flow decrease I don't think I've realized how wasteful I've been. i would dry my hands with four, five paper towels and not think anything of it because I never saw how much I alone was using of the paper towels. In the communal dorm bathrooms, items are used up and are quickly replaced; I never thought that sparing a paper towel or two would save money and the environment. Luckily, my eyes have been opened thanks to this exercise. Instead of using two many paper towels I'm going to use zero now! Small hand towels, anyone? As for the paper napkins in the dining halls, I need to be more watchful. I will definitely have to keep count of how many I've used and limit myself.
Looking back at everything I threw out and in what quantities I feel like my trash reflects that I'm, well, a college student. Now don't get me wrong here; I'm not saying that all college kids are a wasteful mess like I am. In fact, I'm on the extreme side of the spectrum here. What I am trying to get at is that I throw away a lot of paper and plastic products; I waste some food but not too much. I buy plastic wrapped snacks and drink numerous tea and water beverages that come in plastic bottles. I eat at the on-campus restaurants a lot and produce more trash because of it. In order to live a sustainable life I see it necessary to devise two plans: one for dorm Yalda and one for "I actually live in an apartment" Yalda. Right now, my paper and plastic waste is high because I haven't connected the cost that goes with wastefulness. I have a hunch that when I live off-campus my paper and plastic wastefulness may decrease since I have to actually pay for those products with my own money. On the other hand, my food wastefulness may increase because I have always had a tendency to cook more food than I can eat. Overall, for now, I need to focus on buying less plastic-contained snacks, using less paper products and just managing my trash altogether.
As I stated before, I am the person Merkel is trying to change. Or, at least, I'm the beginning of the average American Merkel is advocating against. My lifestyle is far from what Merkel describes in the first few chapters of Radical Simplicity. It will take hard work and some true dedication in order for me to change my environment harming ways. However, after getting solid numbers that depict my personal trash habits I feel like I can summon enough motivation and courage to change my living style. My values are not in favor of harming the environment; I'm not a die-hard environmentalist but I do believe that our world needs to be conserved and saved. It's time that my habits reflect my values. My apologies, Mother Nature; I hope you like Edible Arrangements.
April 13, 2010 at 11:25 PM
I think you can change! At least you are recognizing your faults. Merkel claims that there are 4 steps to his lifestyle: unconscious unsustainability, conscious unsustainability, conscious sustainability and unconscious sustainably. I'd say you're on the second stepping stone of this path, but the most vital thing is that you are actually on this path.
April 15, 2010 at 2:22 PM
At least you admit your wastefulness! HAHA. Perhaps also you can think about the types of food you are eating. I know I probably sound like a health food freak, but most of the foods that are packaged are not sustainable anyways. The products have to be shipped long distances and have tons of preservatives in them. Not only by changing your diet would you improve your health but also be more sustainable!
April 18, 2010 at 3:01 PM
A buddy of mine knows a girl who carries around a small cotton towel for, well lets just say for 'personal hygiene'. When she's done with it, she washes it out with soap and water and replaces it in its little container. Now that's dedication to conserving paper products! Hopefully she uses a different towel to dry her hands off.