PureGin.org

Something I did about a month ago really opened my eyes. I was riding the wave of complacency, just like everyone... we'd been talking (for years, literally) about getting Canada Post to stop deliving junk mail. I happened to chat with our postal delivery person as he was dropping off mail for the neighbourhood, and he said it would be sufficient to tape a little note inside our mailbox: "Please, no un-addressed bulk mail". I ran home, wrote one up, and taped it inside our mailbox - it took five minutes. Unbelievably, this has reduced the amount of paper in our blue and yellow bags to almost nothing! All of these years I've been lugging these stupid ads home, cursing, chucking them into the recycling, and hauling them out to the curb every two weeks. We had FULL blue bags and half full yellow bags almost every two weeks. This amounts to a stack of paper waste about 10 inches in height, once per two weeks, or about 4 kg. Now, almost nothing. I can't believe I've been such a chump for so many years.

Critics point to recycling as a 'feel-good' sustainability measure, one that many people feel they implement, thereby discharging their environmental obligations. In fact, it has a tiny environmental payback for the money, energy, and effort invested. People are lulled into complacency, feeling they are 'doing something', and this complacency allows many to justify additional waste or consumption.

Argh! Harsh words. But probably true, at least in our case. Recycling was a good start, in the 70's. It's time to re-examine. Let's start with the goal of making sure that our recycling box is as empty as possible come collection day. How can we take steps to succeed here?

Wanna make a real difference? Take 5 minutes and tape a "No junk mail" sticker to your mailbox.