The truth is in the trash
Categories: Nutrition & Supplements
I did a little investigative reporting the other morning while walking the hills in my neighborhood. It happened to be trash morning and black cans and blue and orange recycling bins lined the streets. Call me nosy, but I made it my business to peek in those bins -- they are open-topped bins so I only had to look in their direction, no actual snooping -- and check out just what my neighbors are consuming. It was an eye-opening experience.
My neighbors seem to be drinking many of their calories -- and sugar too. Coke, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, and hoards of wine and beer bottles overflowed from the bins. Also present were empty ice cream containers, sugary cereal boxes, kiddie snack packages, and more. I did come across an occasional healthy neighbor whose trash consisted mostly of empty water bottles but for the most part what I saw was junk.
The trash truck that collects this weekly waste boasts an inspiring statistic on its side -- something about how great amounts of recycling are saving great amounts of trees. Super! Until you consider that we are saving trees at the expense of our health. How about cutting down on the crappy food. Less recycling will occur as a result. And the trees will still come out victorious. So will we.
Yes, the truth is in the trash. What do your bins say about you?
My neighbors seem to be drinking many of their calories -- and sugar too. Coke, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, and hoards of wine and beer bottles overflowed from the bins. Also present were empty ice cream containers, sugary cereal boxes, kiddie snack packages, and more. I did come across an occasional healthy neighbor whose trash consisted mostly of empty water bottles but for the most part what I saw was junk.
The trash truck that collects this weekly waste boasts an inspiring statistic on its side -- something about how great amounts of recycling are saving great amounts of trees. Super! Until you consider that we are saving trees at the expense of our health. How about cutting down on the crappy food. Less recycling will occur as a result. And the trees will still come out victorious. So will we.
Yes, the truth is in the trash. What do your bins say about you?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Alsi 9-28-2007 @ 11:22AM
Where did you ever get the idea that it's all right to snoop around other people's garbage and then make judgements about their lifestyles?
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Jacki 9-28-2007 @ 11:25AM
Well, the recycling bins are open and right in plain view so I merely looked -- and the judgments are really only observations. Americans eat a lot of junk. This is simply the truth.
Jacki Donaldson
Reply
Judy 9-28-2007 @ 5:26PM
Interesting question. Our recycle bin is usually fairly full each week, but our garbage can could often go 3-4 weeks without being emptied (although we wouldn't do that - it would stink). The recycling bin - newspapers (I like to read it in print, not online) an occasional magazine, maybe a wine bottle a week and a few beer cans, and packaging from mail. Plus empty containers fruit or yogurt came in.
The garbage? Diapers (I'm trying to switch to cloth, even though the baby is already 17 months), inedible parts of fruit (apple cores, strawberry stems and such) chewed gum, maybe some uneaten leftovers (homemade bread, beans and rice) and any packaging that isn't recyclable (the foil seal from inside the yogurt tub).
I think our trash would reflect pretty well on us, all in all. And you would assume we are vegetarian, as we don't cook meat at home, and only eat it outside the home.
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Meg Wolff 9-29-2007 @ 8:58PM
Hmmm....what does my bin say about me? I eat a macrobiotic (plant based) diet...not much trash.
I stock up on large bags of brown rice, millet, barley, quinoa, oatmeal...this can last for months. The big bag gets squashed into the trash at some point. Our diet is grain centered, not meat centered so no big white styrofoam packaging and plastic wrap every time I cook...no trash from that. The same goes with the beans we buy from bins, just a thin plastic bag that can be reused after the beans are put in glass jars.
Fresh vegetables comprise a huge portion of what we eat...just the paper bags that get wet...I throw away. The others I use as recycling bags. Not many. Sometime I get lazy while chopping veggies and throw the inedible parts in the trash...like the cauliflower leaves.
You might find apple juice jars in the recycling that my husband uses for special oatmeal. Or an occasional soy sauce bottle, olive oil bottle or can. Maybe an empty hummus tub.
You won't even find plastic sandwich bags, glad wrap, or paper towel, paper plates (well, occasionally for potlucks). Occasionally, you might find tin foil. My sister laughs at me. I find it just as easy to put leftovers in a bowl with a plate on top (or Tupperware). Sometimes when I do get foil it feels like Christmas! I realized that I just really don't NEED these items...it is just something everyone does but we really don't need them.
Filtered tap water or spring water (delivered in large reusable bottles) are our beverages of choice, so no cans or bottles in the trash. One thing you will find is kukicha (or twig) tea bags in my trash, or my car...my sister jokes about the other places that you'll find them around my house.
This was an interesting post...you really got me thinking. You are right it is a win-win situation for the trees and for us!
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