Day 4: The Gift of Trash

Today's lesson: we do not create much trash, but we cause lots of trash to be created.

Today was Bret's last day of work.  He has next week off and then he starts his new job.
Work loves Bret.  Love=trash.  One old lady baked Bret a bunch of cupcakes.  She gave them to him in 2 aluminum trays with plastic lids.  We are looking into recycling the  aluminum.  Our curbside only picks it up in can form.  But the plastic lids are definitely trash.  How could he say no, though? If an act of love creates trash, so be it.

My mother gave me some trash as well.  She always buys way too much food and then tries to unload it on me.  If we are lucky, she does this before the expiration date.  I try not to enable her and mostly refuse her food.  I figure one day she is going to feel guilty about all the food she wastes.  However,
this excess has been going on since I moved out in 1996.  She still shops for 5 when only 2 live in the house now.  Old habits die hard.  Anyway, she had a lot of yogurt.  The kind A likes.  So I took it because my mom won't eat it.  So now I have some unrecyclable plastic #5 containers.  It was bought in 2012, so technically, it does not count.

As Anne (of Green Gables fame) once said, "I know I chatter on far too much... but if you only knew how many things I want to say and don't. Give me some credit."  I feel this way now about trash.  This experiment has me really thinking about my purchases and making better decisions.  I know it is only day 4, but already I didn't get a drink at the mall, or get fast food for lunch, or buy some socks that I didn't really need but thought were cute--all because of the packaging they came in.  So I know I am creating trash, but if you only knew how much trash I am _not_ creating, you'd be proud.