Waste not, Want not? Or off the deep end?
Check out this frugal mom in the video below:
Eager as she may be, the featured recycler presents cost savings in the extreme, at least for some. In this increasingly crazy (and costly) world, however, many are rethinking the adage of "waste not, want not." With a reported 26 billion pounds of clothing and textiles finding its way every year into the landfill, the logic of making use of what one has is inescapable ... not to mention more cost effective.
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According to Savers State of Reuse Report, the key findings are as follows:
- Almost half of North Americans believe they have too much stuff
- Overflowing closets are the No. 1 prompt for people to donate their unwanted clothing.
- Americans vastly underestimate the amount of used clothing and accessories they send to landfills each year: They report throwing away 4.7 trash bags worth, while the actual amount is nearly double at 8.1 trash bags.
- Of people who do not donate used goods, one in three say it's just more convenient to throw these items away.
- More than half of North Americans surveyed say they are more likely to reuse clothing after hearing about the significant environmental impact of textile manufacturing.
- Nearly half of North Americans say they would donate more if they knew their donation would help nonprofits they support.
- Ninety-four percent of North Americans believe the concepts behind reuse should be taught in schools to increase sustainable habits in future generations.
But whereas the last finding highlights the advantage of teaching the concepts of reuse in schools, the truly earth-conscience might look at the ready resource of parents who, giving birth to children, are the primary teachers. Like it or not.
The home is the real school house.
And the habit of ignoring what we know we should be doing – to include using what we have instead of opting for the bright, shiny or easy – is precisely that which leads to waste. Like those who would toss off the opportunity to teach their own children common sense – a waste – simply by engaging it themselves. Pointing to schools puts the pressure on someone else to do the right thing. Much like feigning ignorance in an age when, sorry, information is more readily available than ever before.
Let's stop wasting opportunity, folks! Or else we may just be forced to rethink another golden oldie. Use it or lose it, wherein our natural ability to pass on common sense to our own will be removed by those eager to turn a profit. Even if, for now, it looks like an easy fix to a growing problem.
Nutrient plumes or noisome necessity? Nature makes doo!
Using what's available isn't only the mantra of those humans seeking to re-green Mother Earth. It's the reality of nature in action. Check out this whale doing what a whale's gotta do to defend itself against unwanted paparazzi:
With the onset of summer, increasing numbers seek the bliss of a balmy, seaside retreat. But while tourists are often discerning about those less-than-clean pools, there is often no thought whatever given to what – exactly – comprises sea water.
As reported by LiveScience:
The ocean is home to millions of known species – about 2.2 million, according to a study published in August 2011 in the journal PLOS Biology – which translates into untold numbers of creatures, large and small, from microscopic zooplankton to enormous marine mammals that weigh hundreds of thousands of pounds.
However, the ocean isn't just their home; it's also their toilet. It may be a little daunting to contemplate the vast quantities of waste expelled into seawater every day by the ocean's various creatures, but urine and feces are also nutrient-rich reinvestments that are constantly being consumed and recycled, maintaining the overall health of ocean ecosystems, and playing an important role in supporting food webs.
But don't be shy about swimming in the ocean. Learn from it. While the thought of waste may shiver the bones, it is the ongoing expulsion of nutrient plumes that feeds and fuels the diversity of ocean life!
"Tiny organisms like phytoplankton and algae – thousands of species," Roman says in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, "... use the nutrients in whale pee and poop to grow. But it doesn't stop there. Phytoplankton are eaten by larger zooplankton, which are then consumed by fish, which eventually may be eaten by whales. And whales are doing more than just releasing nutrients – they're redistributing them. By feeding in the depths and relieving themselves at the surface, they're connecting surface-dwelling marine animals with nutrients that lie out of reach in the deep ocean."
So make this summer's trip to the beach a learning experience. "But if you're still worried about how much of it (whale doo doo) you might be swimming in at the beach this summer," LiveScience advises, "Just think about the volume of water that makes up the ocean – about 321 million cubic miles (1.3 billion cubic kilometers), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Compared to that, even thousands of gallons of whale pee is just a drop in the bucket."
Nature's way to make the most of what you have ... and then some
Want a gorgeous garden? Why not do what nature does: use what you have at your disposal instead of throwing it away?
"Compost" as defined by Wikipedia, is "a key ingredient in organic farming. At the simplest level, the process of composting simply requires making a heap of wetted organic matter known as green waste (leaves, food waste) and waiting for the materials to break down into humus after a period of weeks or months."
You can even make use of more curious household byproducts like cardboard, dryer lint, wood ash, coffee grounds, egg shells, newspapers and corn cobs.
EarthEasy outlines the benefits:
- Soil conditioner: With compost, you are creating rich humus for lawn and garden. This adds nutrients to your plants and helps retain moisture in the soil.
- Recycles kitchen and yard waste: Composting can divert as much as 30% of household waste away from the garbage can.
- Introduces beneficial organisms to the soil: Microscopic organisms in compost help aerate the soil, break down organic material for plant use and ward off plant disease.
- Good for the environment: Composting offers a natural alternative to chemical fertilizers.
- Reduces landfill waste: Most landfills in North America are quickly filling up; many have already closed down. One-third of landfill waste is made up of compostable materials.
And now that you know why you may want to compost, here's a quick video to get you started: