Once Upon a Landfill...

The movie WALL-E is meant to be an eye opener.  Talking robots aside, WALL-E is a pretty accurate depiction of the future of our wasteful ways. Unless we stop producing so much waste, we’re going to run out of convenient locations to hide our consumerism.

What is a landfill? Picture it. Have you seen one in person before? Step back and really think about what a landfill is; in my opinion, it’s an enabler to humans’ wasteful ways.  What if you were to instead throw your garbage in your backyard or your living room?  That’s out of the question, right? So why are we okay throwing our trash into a landfill?

Let me ask you the question again; what is a landfill? Before humans decide that they wanted their trash out of sight, those landfills were forests or meadows. Land inhabited by plants, animals, and rich in ecosystems.  Not to mention the people who live in the area.

Until I truly comprehended “throwing something out”, I had every excuse in the book; “I can’t find a recycle bin” or “I don’t have time to think about it” or “I don’t know the difference”. Then the harsh reality hit me; ever single item that I am placing in a garbage can is finding a quaint new home in a landfill.

Did you know that disposable coffee cups are compostable (in Ottawa)? Familiarize yourself with your city’s acceptable compostable and recyclable items. Here is a link for all your Ottawa dwellers:

Recyclables:

http://ottawa.ca/en/garbage_recycle/recycling/bluebox/index.html (Blue box)

http://ottawa.ca/en/garbage_recycle/recycling/blackbox/index.html (Black box)

Compostables:

http://ottawa.ca/en/garbage_recycle/greenbin_yard/green_contents/index.html .

Pay special attention to the “Other Acceptable Items”. Some of them may surprise you!

Green Bin tips:

http://ottawa.ca/en/garbage_recycle/greenbin_yard/bin_cleaning/index.html

Other tips:

1.  Stop making excuses. If something does not belong in a landfill, do not allow it to go there.  Yes, I said it. Carry it with you until you find a compost or recycle bin, donate it, or just stop buying it if it’s not actually necessary.

2. Bring an empty food container with you if you’re going out for dinner to save those tasty leftovers without creating more waste. Along the same line, bite the bullet and buy yourself a darn reusable coffee mug, and use it!

3. Reduce the amount of prepared/packaged foods you consume. The age old excuse “I don’t have time to cook for myself” just doesn’t cut it. Everyone has the time. Plan it into your schedule.

4. Rescue items from the curb. Many people throw away usable items.  Remove the stigma attached to “garbage picking” and realize that if it’s left on the curb, it will end up in a landfill. Either keep it for yourself, or donate it. (ps. I’m not suggesting that you tear open people’s garbage bags to find treasures…)

5. Buy used items. Buying things new means that you have contributed to the packaging necessary to ship the item to the store. Bonus: Used items are usually cheaper, and just as good as the new items!