How Trashy Am I?

Recently,​ ​after​ ​reading​ ​an​ ​eye-opening​ ​book​ ​called​ ​​Garbology​​ ​by​ ​Edward​ ​Humes,​ ​I decided​ ​to​ ​document​ ​just​ ​how​ ​“trashy”​ ​I​ ​was.​ ​In​ ​other​ ​words,​ ​I​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​record​ ​my​ ​trash production​ ​and​ ​cost​ ​of​ ​the​ ​food​ ​I​ ​was​ ​eating​ ​for​ ​three​ ​days.​ ​Now​ ​three​ ​days​ ​is​ ​not​ ​nearly​ ​enough time​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​change​ ​in​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​trash​ ​I​ ​produce,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​can​ ​start​ ​to​ ​help​ ​me​ ​understand and​ ​put​ ​into​ ​terms​ ​how​ ​much​ ​and​ ​what​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​trash​ ​I​ ​am​ ​producing.

The​ ​first​ ​day​ ​I​ ​tried​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​in​ ​mind​ ​that​ ​I​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​my​ ​trash​ ​minimal.​ ​I​ ​started​ ​out my​ ​day​ ​by​ ​drinking​ ​a​ ​diet​ ​coke​ ​and​ ​getting​ ​a​ ​donut​ ​from​ ​Family​ ​Express.​ ​I​ ​made​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​only use​ ​one​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​plastic​ ​while​ ​picking​ ​up​ ​my​ ​donut​ ​and​ ​I​ ​did​ ​not​ ​put​ ​it​ ​inside​ ​a​ ​plastic​ ​bag​ ​since​ ​I was​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​eating​ ​it​ ​momentarily.​ ​For​ ​lunch​ ​I​ ​got​ ​noodles​ ​and​ ​alfredo​ ​from​ ​the​ ​cafeteria​ ​and I​ ​drank​ ​a​ ​water​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Honors​ ​den​ ​at​ ​my​ ​school.​ ​For​ ​dinner​ ​my​ ​mom​ ​made​ ​spaghetti,​ ​which​ ​I did​ ​eat​ ​on​ ​a​ ​paper​ ​plate,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​drank​ ​another​ ​diet​ ​coke.​ ​For​ ​the​ ​day,​ ​I​ ​spent​ ​$8.73.​ ​The​ ​trash​ ​I ended​ ​up​ ​using​ ​was​ ​two​ ​pop​ ​cans​ ​(which​ ​I​ ​recycled),​ ​a​ ​styrofoam​ ​plate,​ ​a​ ​paper​ ​plate,​ ​a​ ​plastic fork,​ ​and​ ​three​ ​napkins.​ ​Most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​items​ ​I​ ​ended​ ​up​ ​with​ ​could​ ​be​ ​recycled​ ​but​ ​I​ ​still​ ​considered them​ ​to​ ​be​ ​waste.

I​ ​interviewed​ ​my​ ​parents​ ​about​ ​our​ ​trash​ ​production​ ​on​ ​the​ ​first​ ​night​ ​of​ ​my​ ​research.​ ​I asked​ ​why​ ​they​ ​thought​ ​we​ ​produced​ ​so​ ​much​ ​trash,​ ​and​ ​how​ ​much​ ​they​ ​thought​ ​we​ ​produced each​ ​week.​ ​My​ ​mother​ ​responded,​ ​“I​ ​think​ ​we​ ​use​ ​so​ ​much​ ​trash​ ​because​ ​all​ ​of​ ​us​ ​are​ ​busy almost​ ​all​ ​the​ ​time​ ​so​ ​using​ ​disposable​ ​dinner​ ​plates​ ​and​ ​napkins​ ​for​ ​the​ ​ease​ ​of​ ​it.​ ​It​ ​saves​ ​time by​ ​not​ ​doing​ ​dishes​.​ ​She​ ​said​ ​we threw​ ​away​ ​about​ ​five​ ​bags​ ​of​ ​garbage​ ​a​ ​week.​ ​Being​ ​that​ ​she​ ​is​ ​normally​ ​the​ ​one​ ​to​ ​take​ ​the trash​ ​out​ ​on​ ​Tuesday​ ​nights,​ ​I​ ​realized​ ​her​ ​estimate​ ​was​ ​probably​ ​pretty​ ​accurate.​ ​I​ ​was shocked​ ​to​ ​think​ ​that​ ​my​ ​family​ ​of​ ​three​ ​people​ ​produced​ ​that​ ​much​ ​trash​ ​in​ ​just​ ​a​ ​week.​ ​

My​ ​dad said​ ​he​ ​thought​ ​we​ ​produced​ ​so​ ​much​ ​because​ ​we​ ​were​ ​lazy​ ​and​ ​it​ ​was​ ​the​ ​most​ ​convenient. (My​ ​dad​ ​works​ ​twelve​ ​hour​ ​days,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​asked​ ​him​ ​around​ ​ten​ ​at​ ​night,​ ​so​ ​I​ ​think​ ​his​ ​lack​ ​of enthusiasm​ ​for​ ​this​ ​interview​ ​was​ ​because​ ​he​ ​was​ ​tired.)​ ​He​ ​said​ ​we​ ​throw​ ​away​ ​three​ ​bags​ ​a week.​ ​I​ ​thought​ ​it​ ​was​ ​ironic​ ​that​ ​he​ ​thought​ ​we​ ​produced​ ​much​ ​less​ ​than​ ​we​ ​actually​ ​do.​ ​This proves​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​Humes​ ​introduced​ ​to​ ​us,​ ​that​ ​we​ ​don’t​ ​realize​ ​how​ ​much​ ​trash​ ​we​ ​are producing​ ​unless​ ​it​ ​is​ ​right​ ​in​ ​front​ ​of​ ​us​.

The​ ​second​ ​day​ ​of​ ​my​ ​tracking​ ​was​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​worse​ ​than​ ​the​ ​first​ ​day.​ ​I​ ​started​ ​with​ ​a​ ​diet coke​ ​and​ ​pop-tarts​ ​from​ ​the​ ​gas​ ​station​ ​in​ ​the​ ​morning,​ ​which​ ​gave​ ​me​ ​the​ ​pop​ ​can​ ​and​ ​the plastic​ ​wrapper​ ​from​ ​the​ ​food.​ ​For​ ​lunch​ ​I​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​get​ ​a​ ​sandwich​ ​from​ ​the​ ​cafe​ ​and​ ​a gatorade.​ ​I​ ​ate​ ​some​ ​cookies​ ​that​ ​were​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Honors​ ​den​ ​but​ ​I​ ​did​ ​not​ ​obtain​ ​any​ ​trash​ ​from this.​ ​On​ ​my​ ​way​ ​to​ ​my​ ​last​ ​class,​ ​I​ ​ate​ ​some​ ​goldfish​ ​in​ ​a​ ​paper​ ​cup​ ​I​ ​got​ ​from​ ​the​ ​den.​ ​For dinner​ ​I​ ​had​ ​McDonalds​ ​because​ ​I​ ​worked​ ​late​ ​so​ ​I​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​get​ ​my​ ​own​ ​food​ ​instead​ ​of bothering​ ​my​ ​mom​ ​to​ ​cook​ ​so​ ​late.​ ​I​ ​spent​ ​$12.36.​ ​At​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​day​ ​two,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​a​ ​pop​ ​can,​ ​empty gatorade​ ​bottle,​ ​plastic​ ​pop-tart​ ​wrapper,​ ​sandwich​ ​wrapper,​ ​a​ ​paper​ ​cup,​ ​a​ ​small​ ​fry​ ​wrapper,​ ​a burger​ ​wrapper,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​McDonald’s​ ​bag.​ ​I​ ​thought​ ​I​ ​was​ ​doing​ ​fairly​ ​well​ ​until​ ​I​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​stop​ ​at Mcdonalds​ ​for​ ​dinner,​ ​which​ ​produced​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​more​ ​trash​ ​than​ ​I​ ​expected.

My​ ​final​ ​day​ ​of​ ​conducting​ ​research​ ​was​ ​pretty​ ​average.​ ​I​ ​woke​ ​up​ ​late​ ​so​ ​I​ ​only​ ​had​ ​a diet​ ​coke​ ​because​ ​I​ ​didn’t​ ​have​ ​time​ ​to​ ​stop​ ​at​ ​the​ ​gas​ ​station.​ ​For​ ​lunch​ ​I​ ​had​ ​Subway​ ​and​ ​a water​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Honors​ ​den.​ ​My​ ​mom​ ​made​ ​dinner​ ​and​ ​we​ ​had​ ​steak,​ ​so​ ​we​ ​used​ ​the​ ​regular ceramic​ ​plates.​ ​I​ ​also​ ​had​ ​a​ ​diet​ ​coke​ ​and​ ​a​ ​brownie​ ​afterwards,​ ​but​ ​I​ ​did​ ​not​ ​use​ ​a​ ​plate​ ​for​ ​the brownie.​ ​I​ ​spent​ ​$6.54​ ​on​ ​this​ ​day.​ ​The​ ​only​ ​trash​ ​I​ ​had​ ​the​ ​third​ ​day​ ​were​ ​two​ ​pop​ ​cans,​ ​a Subway​ ​sandwich​ ​wrapper,​ ​a​ ​water​ ​bottle,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​napkin​ ​from​ ​my​ ​brownie.​ ​I​ ​think​ ​this​ ​was​ ​the day​ ​I​ ​produced​ ​the​ ​most​ ​trash.​ ​I​ ​wish​ ​I​ ​had​ ​conducted​ ​my​ ​research​ ​sooner​ ​so​ ​I​ ​could​ ​have documented​ ​more​ ​than​ ​three​ ​days.

After​ ​these​ ​three​ ​days​ ​I​ ​was​ ​surprised​ ​to​ ​see​ ​how​ ​much​ ​more​ ​waste​ ​I​ ​produced​ ​when eating​ ​from​ ​fast​ ​food​ ​restaurants.​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​they​ ​contribute​ ​greatly​ ​to​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​trash Americans​ ​produce.​ ​I​ ​think​ ​eating​ ​out​ ​less,​ ​and​ ​carrying​ ​my​ ​own​ ​water​ ​bottle​ ​would​ ​be​ ​a​ ​huge start​ ​in​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​waste​ ​I​ ​produce.​ ​I​ ​could​ ​also​ ​try​ ​eating​ ​more​ ​food​ ​from home,​ ​and​ ​using​ ​real​ ​dinnerware​ ​when​ ​eating​ ​at​ ​home​ ​as​ ​an​ ​alternative​ ​to​ ​paper​ ​products.

Although​ ​I ​do​ ​not​ ​think​ ​I​ ​could​ ​be​ ​completely​ ​zero​ ​waste,​ ​I​ ​do​ ​think​ ​there​ ​are​ ​many​ ​things​ ​I​ ​could do​ ​to​ ​drastically​ ​reduce​ ​my​ ​trash​ ​production.​ ​I​ ​encourage​ ​everyone​ ​to​ ​try​ ​tracking​ ​their​ ​trash​ ​for a​ ​few​ ​days,​ ​or​ ​even​ ​longer​ ​and​ ​I​ ​guarantee​ ​you​ ​will​ ​be​ ​amazed​ ​by​ ​how​ ​much​ ​waste​ ​you produce​ ​every​ ​single​ ​day.​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​if​ ​we​ ​made​ ​the​ ​trash​ ​problem​ ​more​ ​of​ ​a​ ​socialized​ ​and talked-about​ ​subject​ ​we​ ​could​ ​help​ ​the​ ​world​ ​become​ ​cleaner​ ​and​ ​healthier​ ​for​ ​everyone.