How Much Trash Do You Create?
posted 10:18 pm Wed February 27, 2008 -
Anchor:
IT'S SOMETHING MOST OF US DON'T THINK TWICE ABOUT. WHEN WE THROW SOMETHING AWAY... WE NEVER THINK OF IT AGAIN.
RECENT STUDIES TELL US THE AVERAGE AMERICAN CREATES ABOUT 4 POUNDS OF TRASH A DAY...1500 POUNDS A YEAR...MAKING THE U.S. THE WORST GARBAGE GENERATOR ON EARTH. BUT ONLY ONE-TENTH GETS RECYCLED. SO WE PUT THREE AREA RESIDENTS TO A TRASH CHALLENGE...TO SEE WHAT THEY'D LEARN FROM AMASSING THEIR OWN MESS.
Story:
WE CREATE, CONSUME... AND THROW AWAY SO MUCH... THE COLLECTIVE MESS...
"We are running out of space."
COULD BE KILLING OUR PLANET.
"If we don't know by now global warming is here."
SO WE FOLLOWED 3 PEOPLE FOR 3 DAYS - 22 YEAR OLD CAITLIN WEIGAND, 24 YEAR OLD ANNETTE JAGNARAIN AND 30 YEAR OLD ERIC ELSTON.
Eric Elston: "I didn't finish these [french fries] so they are going in the bag."
TO SEE HOW MUCH GARBAGE THEY WOULD AMASS.
Eric Elston: "A real eye opening situation for me."
THERE WAS A CATCH.
Annette Jagnarain: "Why are you carrying around a trash bag?"
THEY HAD TO TOTE THEIR TRASH EVERYWHERE - ON THE METRO, AT THE MALL...EVEN ON THE JOB.
Eric Elston: "I wouldn't want to carry mine around...laughs."
CAITLIN LIVES THE GREEN LIFE IN ELLICOTT CITY. WITH NO APPETITE FOR CONSUMPTION SHE VORACIOUSLY RECYCLES.
AND COMPOSTS ALL HER BIODEGRADABLE LEFTOVERS IN A BIN OUT BACK. SHE EVEN KEEPS A COMPOSTING CONTAINER AT WORK.
Caitlin Weigand: "The brown stuff is bean dip."
AND REUSES PAPER TOWELS.
Caitlin Weigand: "I think it's going to be a pretty empty trash bag."
BY THE END OF THIS EXPERIMENT HER TRASH DIDN'T EVEN REGISTER ON THE SCALE.
Caitlin Weigand: "I feel like I'm doing a pretty good job."
ANNETTE OF OAKTON ADMITS...
Annette Jagnarain: "I pretty much don't recycle."
BUT "DOES" REUSE AND REDUCE HER WASTE.
BUT A DINNER OF DISCARDED VEGGIES, EGGS AND OLD BREAD ADDED BULK TO HER BAG.
THE REMNANTS OF A FED-EX BOX REALLY HURT...PUSHING HER TOTAL...TO NEARLY 3 POUNDS.
Caitlin Weigand: "I thought I was really good about trash and I didn't generate that much trash so I have say I'm surprised that the bag is almost full."
Eric Elston: "Trash."
THEN THERE'S ERIC OF LARGO.
Eric Elston: "More trash."
WHO NEVER CONSIDERED THE SIZE OF HIS CARBON FOOTPRINT.
Eric Elston: "More trash."
AT LUNCH, HE REGRETTED ORDERING THE OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER.
Eric Elston: "I don't know what I was thinking about...they were so good...this is gonna be so bad."
THEN HE PURCHASED TRAVEL SUPPLIES CREATING EVEN MORE REFUSE.
Eric Elston: "Throw that in there."
Eric Elston: "This is day 3. I'm in the mall doing a little shopping."
BY NOW, ERIC WAS SO COMFORTABLE WITH HIS BULGING BAG HE NAMED IT LARRY.
Eric Elston: "It's a part of me in a sense. He's been around me for 3 days. He's riding in the car with me. He has his own little swagger and smell to him."
BUT LARRY TIPPED THE SCALES...
ALONG WITH HIS STACK OF UNRECYCLE NEWSPAPERS...AT MORE THAN 8 POUNDS...FINALLY ENDEARING ERIC TO MOTHER EARTH.
Eric Elston: "You don't gain that perspective until the trash is at your doorstep."
MAYBE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BREAK BREAD WITH BAG OF TRASH.
WE GOT THIS IDEA FROM MARKETPLACE...A BUSINESS-NEWS PROGRAM HEARD ON PUBLIC RADIO NATIONWIDE.For More Information go to:
Trash-reducing Tips:
-get reusable grocery bags for shopping instead of paper or plastic
-recycle at home and at work
-start a compost bin
-avoid products with non-recyclable packaging
-support eco-friendly companies
-try to reuse non-recyclable products more than once
-pack food in washable containers not plastic bags
-collect and properly dispose hazardous waste like household cleaners
-buy basic food items like grains, coffee and cereal in bulk
-use towels to dry hands not paper products
-WJLA 11 p.m. Script-
Jay Korff:
PEOPLE ARE RECYCLING MORE BECAUSE WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF LANDFILL SPACE. SO WE ASKED 3 PEOPLE TO COLLECT AND CARRY THEIR GARBAGE FOR 3 DAYS...A TRASH CHALLENGE IF YOU WILL. EXPERTS SAY WHAT OUR PARTICIPANTS LEARNED IN THAT TIME COULD BE CRITICAL IN HELPING THE PLANET'S HEALTH.
Annette: "Well I have to say the banana peels are smelling the most."
Eric: "It's mind boggling."
SINCE ERIC'S BAG TOTALED THE HEAVIEST AT MORE THAN 8 POUNDS, WE ASKED TRASH-COLLECTION EXPERT EILEEN KAO AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY'S RECYCLING CENTER TO WEIGH IN. "People don't always realize how much waste we all create."
THIS CACOPHONY OF CONVEYOR BELTS EXEMPLIFIES ECO-FRIENDLY. "Everyone in the county has to recycle."
LAST YEAR THEY RECYCLED 43 PERCENT OF THE OF TRASH TRUCKED OR DRIVEN IN. RE-SELLING ENOUGH GLASS, PAPER AND PLASTIC TO PAY TO RUN THIS ENTIRE FACILITY. "They need to try to recycle everything that's possible to recycle."
BUT THAT OBVIOUS PIECE OF ADVICE SHOULDN'T BE DOWNPLAYED. "It's sort of largely invisible to us. We get rid of it as we go and we don't give it a lot of thought."
GEORGE MASON'S ED MAIBACh STUDIES HOW TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN SOLVING WHAT HE CONSIDERS IS THE CRISIS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. "I actually believe it's the biggest problem facing human civilization."
HE BELIEVES MONITORING BEHAVIOR OVER TIME, TRASH CHALLENGE, IS A CRITICAL TOOL IN CHANGING BEHAVIOR. Ed Maibach: "So I think it is a rather ingenious idea to ask people to collect their trash to see how much they've generated."
IN THE END, TRASH-CONSCIOUS CAITLIN SET AN UNBEATABLE BAR AFTER GENERATING NEXT TO NO WASTE. "I see trash as affecting me directly."
BUT ERIC AND ANNETTE CLEARLY BENEFITTED THE MOST. THEIR CONSUMING AND BUYING HABITS WERE FOREVER CHANGED JUST FROM HAULING AROUND THEIR TRASH. Eric: "It's all about going green and really realizing how much trash we consume on the day to day basis."
Jay Korff:
ERIC TELLS US THIS EXPERIENCE HAS INSPIRED HIM TO RECYCLE AND ANNETTE USES REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS WHEN SHOPPING, THEREBY AVOIDING PAPER AND PLASTIC.
Latest Comment on How Much Trash Do You Create?
robjdisc
11:31 am on 02/28/08
Accordionjim While I agree with most of your points, and that producers can be more responsible along these lines, here are some choices: 1. Recycle (or shred then recycle) your junk mail; even the envelopes with the clear film over the address are accepted by most of the Northern VA recycling centers. Sign up for the do not mail list - https://www.dmachoice.org/MPS/mps_consumer_description.php
2. Bring your own re-usable / canvas bag. Hopefully soon, plastic bags won't be offered anymore.
3. Yes. Please recycle your water bottles; better, get a re-usable, stainless steel water / drink bottle (or at least a nalgene-type bottle).
4. Buy in bulk and avoid single-use items (wrt packaging). While this doesn't entirely solve the problem, at least it reduces the amount of packaging you must deal with. (additionally, buy second-hand (think Amazon marketplace, Craigslist, etc.) and don't buy what you don't need)
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