Some Information … and an Invitation:  Throw away our Throwaway Culture!

by John Fueger of the Creation Care Team at Peace Lutheran Church

My wife has a subscription to a magazine titled Yes!, a nonprofit publication that focuses on solutions journalism. As time was fleeting to write this article, she offered me a copy of Yes! from Summer, 2021 that focuses on solving the plastic crisis. The issue is a fascinating read, from a comic-book type article “How to Get Rid of Throwaway Culture” to an in-depth article, “Don’t Let Consumerism Co-opt the Zero-Waste Concept,” that questions why consumers bear the burden of single-use packaging disposal rather than manufacturers.

Due to my interest in the magazine, my thoughts for the article that you’re reading now quickly shifted from detailing the impact of microplastics on the environment and providing links to personal plastic usage calculators to what each of us can do to change the throwaway culture.

What’s Happening?

As my wife reminds me, there is no such thing as “away.” However, I think my notion of “away” was impacted by a science fiction television show I watched on a simple black and white television as a child, Space: 1999. The starting premise of that show was that humankind was producing so much nuclear waste that we were sending it to the moon. That premise doesn’t sound as far-fetched today as it did in 1975 after what humanity has collectively done to our planet. But I digress….

Yes! author Sarah Lazarovic cites a World War II credo “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!” to reduce waste. She goes further to develop what she terms the Buyerarchy of Needs (apologies were given to Maslow). That hierarchy begins with the simple concept of using what you already have, which very much resonated with me. She goes on to state, “We’ve been marketed to death with ideas of maximalist abundance. Instead of the most you can get, think about the least you can get by with.” Taking this type of advice to heart in today’s culture is a difficult challenge at best. We are constantly inundated with email and targeted advertising directly or indirectly promoting consumption. That continuing consumption feeds throwaway culture. What if we at least assessed our consumption through the lens of this hierarchy? Would our purchase decisions be changed or perhaps at least delayed?

I would also add one initial step to the Buyerarchy of Needs: Wait a day or two before moving forward to address perceived needs. I find that waiting a few days once I’ve made a decision that I need something allows me to better reflect on that perceived need and, in some cases, allow myself to realize that I don’t need the item at all.

What Can I Do?

When you need something or it’s time to make a purchase, consider the Buyerarchy Of Needs.

Use Lazarovic’s No-Throwaway Checklist to change your habits. Consider adding a new item each week or month to swap or reuse or mend.

• I will swap or borrow at least ____________ things instead of buying them.
• I will switch to reusable ____________ and ____________.
• I will finally fix / mend that ____________ instead of buying a new one.

Play A Game!

Place a small jar for each member of your family in a convenient place. Every time someone throws away an item that could have been reused, repurposed, or replaced with a longer-lasting alternative, they have to throw a penny (or more!) in their jar. After a week, count the coins. Unlike regular banking, the one with the fewest coins wins!

Be Creative!

Make art or a useful item from items you’d normally toss; there are lots of ideas online, like this: Trash to Treasure: 40 Creative Recycled and Repurposed Artworks | Inspirationfeed

Changing a throwaway mindset is a powerful thing all of us can do for the environment and ourselves … for God’s good creation.

https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/solving-plastic/2021/05/10/how-to-get-rid-of-throwaway-culture

For more information:
– About Creation Care at Peace Lutheran Church
– About our Creation Care Team