The Little Things

Sometimes it's the little things that mean everything. Today I handled one more item on my list of "things to do."

I filled my trunk with glass bottles and jars, a broken blender, a very old fax machine, an inoperable battery backup, a non-functioning D-Link, a broken salad spinner etc. and drove everything to the recycling exchange where all items will see new life again.

The Recycling Exchange isn't a place I visit frequently - probably no more than once a year. It isn't the most esthetically pleasing place to hang around. In fact, I'm always a tad apprehensive that there'll be something on the pitted pavement that will puncture a tire or something on the muddy ground I don't want to step in.

But every time I go there and leave, I feel really good about myself. I like recycling. I like that I don't add all this junk to the landfill. I really love the fact that every time I go there it's a very busy place. Lots of other folks feel like me - and that's a good thing.

I put out my garbage once every two weeks and it usually consists of one small kitchen catcher, mostly full of plastic wrapping that comes around loaves of bread and other foodstuffs. I wish there was something I could do with the styrofoam trays meat is placed on before being wrapped - that has to go in the garbage. I also wish companies would stop using so darn much wrapping, especially the stuff that is hermetically sealed - mostly used for small electronics - that you can't puncture with a jackhammer. All that wastefull packaging for one tiny item. Afraid of people stealing you say? - Well, for heaven's sakes, put it behind a counter then! Sheesh!

And please, when people shop for organic produce, it usually means they're a bit aware of waste and so on, so why is it that organic produce always comes with the most packaging? At the grocery store yesterday, why can I only buy organic bananas in groups of six and why are their tops wrapped in plastic film? Why can I only buy organic avocados in pairs packaged in net bags? Why do my organic tomatoes come pre-packaged in plastic bags when regular tomatoes do not?

All I'm saying is - there's too much waste - let's get minimal okay?