Opinion: Choose To Re-Use
REFUSE THE REFUSE….. CHOOSE TO RE-USE
By Jennifer Troy
Organic and Natural
The amount of “wasteful waste” accumulated everyday, world-wide is staggering. Here in my corner of the world, Portland, Oregon, waste is everywhere. We have careless waste, we have intentional waste, we have good intentioned waste, we have plastic waste and we have paper waste, just to mention a few. It is my wish to draw attention to waste that need not be wasted. Sometimes we accept a premise just because everyone else seems to accept it. Human beings are sheep. I hope to convince you that often the things we do because we think it is the “right” thing for the environment may in fact be short-sighted and wrong. Shockingly, “organic” and “natural” may not always be the best answer. I believe with all of my heart re-use and re-purpose in the end will be the best way forward.
Paper or Plastic?
Take as an example, the recent “Paper or Plastic” epidemic sweeping through the nation. We did it! We finally got the public involved in saving the environment by ousting plastic and replacing it with the greener choice of paper. We’ve been so successful that half the rain forests of the Pacific NW and elsewhere are being systematically destroyed, not to mention the massive amount of paper in its many forms is now rotting in our landfills. Repeat after me, “re-use and re-purpose”.
Re-Use and Re-Purpose
Paper or Progress?
Natural means natural…. not sustainable, durable or reusable as it’s synthetic counterparts. “Synthetic”? “Synthetic”? That means man-made. Yes, man-made. These textiles were designed to be reused. Designed to be washed and NOT discarded. Why on earth have we put so much energy into creating, recycling and re-purposing plastic if we’re now simply going to ban it? Wake up, America there is a better way, there is progress.
