nothing wasted

there is an incredible amount of satisfaction i get from getting the most out of the silly little material things in my life. i imagine that it's part of my duty to the planet - one of those little daily offerings to the world, one of my baby steps towards being a good person and being pleased with my contributions to the universe.

i believe that everything adds up. the good, and the bad. the things we do accumulate and really do leave a footprint behind us. that's why i try not to waste anything. and i mean anything.

food goes without saying. i use up every little scrap, either in another dish, as leftovers, or as a contribution to the compost pile. there are too many hungry mouths in the world to toss out food.

lately, we have been manic recyclers. but it's a mania i feel good about. i save jars that i like for dry foods, and sometimes bring them to the co-op to fill with bulk goods. the rest, i recycle, along with cans, plastic containers, paper, and paperboard. it's becoming habit to really pause before tossing anything. i think it's an important habit to acquire.

the best way to prevent excess trash is to not have it in the first place... which is why i've also been thinking before buying. it's actually quite easy, because most food that is good for you has minimal packaging to begin with.

everything else, i try to use until it has nothing more to give. i wear my clothes and shoes out, and try to take good care of them so they will last as long as possible. otherwise, they are off to goodwill or handed down. we don't have much stuff at all, but the furniture and things that we do have, no matter how old and ratty, we try to take care of it all and pass on what we no longer need. the idea is that nothing is wasted, nothing collects dust.

we're by no means perfect - in fact, the other night i tossed out the remains of a disappointing take-out meal that, had i eaten the rest, i may have been ill - literally. but it's the recognition that matters - the fact that i even thought about it is a step.

i believe that it's essential to mankind that we maintain aware of ourselves, our actions, and the impact that we do and can make. while something as thoughtless as tossing rubbish shouldn't put a kink in your day, i do think that taking small measures to pay attention to these things can open our eyes to even better solutions.