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Random mutterings
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Recent Chicken Scratchings
Chicago’s Union Station does a great job relabeling the iconic dustbin as a “landfill can”, followed up with parenthetical “not recycled” in case you didn’t understand what landfill can meant.
It made me feel really horrible for throwing something in there. Normally, I just toss, but this time I slowly approached, backed away, then re-approached to toss in my “landfiller”, while making sure nobody was watching me.
It’s amazing how clever wording can switch carelessness to carefulness.
Readers, what, if anything, about the label would change your behavior? Have you seen something like this before?
Posted 9 Feb 2012
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5 Responses to “Trash, what trash?”
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Nothing.
You can’t demand something of me without giving me a way to do it.
Consider: On my way to work, I’ve just finished a box of cookies on the subway (why I was eating them on the subway doesn’t matter). I get off and want to throw the box away. So what, do I carry the box with me all the way to work and then home again? No I toss it in and flip off the rubbish bin as I walk away. Give me a way to recycle rigth there, and I will.
I just want to note, that this story is apochryphal. I don’t eat cookies on the subway. I don’t even ride a subway. And I never flip off rubbish bins.
The end.
One could always pack the cookies in a reusable container and could save that container when the cookies are done. Essentially, plan ahead.
Admittedly, that doesn’t solve the problem when commuters get hungry on the way to work and purchase cookies from the shop.
To address that, we as a society need to put our money (as tax-payers and consumers) into solutions that address the ‘garbage’ problem.
(Now I’ll step down from my soap box. Thank you all for listening.)
Did you START to eat the box of cookies on the subway as well? I mean, did this fictional character eat an entire box of cookies in the morning on the way to work!?
Also, I agree…this is looking at the problem the wrong way! Sure, it might help to get people to sort their rubbish better, but frankly the push ought to be on the manufacturing end…use materials that can all compost or be recycled.
@Conall, It was a relatively small box. Oh, go on. Leave my fictitious self alone! :p