Reading the New York Times’ 6 Things You’re Recycling Wrong, we’ve discovered that we are aspirational recyclers: we hope that what we put in the bin is truly recyclable, even if it isn’t. NOT recyclable in NYC — check your locality’s specific rules— includes plastic bags, takeout cups, yogurt containers, greasy pizza boxes, plastic takeout containers and disposable diapers. Putting them in the bin just gums up the recycling process and does nothing to mitigate climate change.
If you want to get philosophical, Stoic philosopher Epictetus offered some really good advice about how to recycle your inner garbage:
The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own…
The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters…
We’ve learned the hard way that facing the reality at hand is the most effective first step to growth and change..
Top photo by Tony Cenicola from the New York Times’ 6 Things You’re Recycling Wrong;
Middle photo by Jorge Gamboa/National Geographic from Multiple Discovery Is Not Plagiarism, But A Reflection Of How Connected We Secretly Are
Bottom photo by Josh Blackwell from Embroidered Plastic Bag (Garbage Into Art/Fashion)
