World at a Crossroad: Recycling

Have you ever stood on our world at a crossroad and looked at each path in turn?  What made you turn away from the path you were on and take a new direction?

The world has an every increasing load of human life and our stuff to carry.  With the advent of online shopping, throw away drink cups, cheap kitchen appliances, and ever upgrading technology, is it little wonder that the earth can’t keep up?

In the past, generations created waste, but prior to the industrial revolution, most waste was a product of organic materials, and thus easily integrated back into the earth’s existing system.  With the advent of modern chemistry and technology we are able to refine things so much that they are not as easily recognized and integrated back into nature’s systems.  We need to take intermediary steps to either re-use or break down our created materials.  So, we recycle.  It makes sense to do it, and you see it everywhere.  Public waste bins with holders for plastic bottles and aluminium cans, grocery store shoppers with re-usable bags, municipal recycling pick-up, and now, even “social plastic”.

Haven’t heard of “social plastic”?  It’s an idea developed by David Katz out of Vancouver.  Social Plastic is a  program that could help thousands of people in impoverished countries to gain resources that they need while reducing plastic waste in the environment.  Plastic is one of those materials that doesn’t break down – so we need to recycle it ourselves.

How do you take responsibility for your environmental sustainability?  Even the smallest changes can make an impact – both in your life and in the life of the earth.  Do you use a re-usable mug?  Do you wash and save glass jars?  Can you fix something instead of buying a new one?  Do you eat unpack-aged food, or recycle any food packaging that you do have?  Think about all the tiny ways we can each help the environment, and the world – it’s never too late to find yourself at a crossroad and to take a different direction.