A rather typical festive post from a usual suspect, one suspects: 'Tis the season to be wasteful
He's right, of course, if a little bit too 'don't/nanny' for the season*. And you do wonder who it is targeted to is reading it. But the replies were interesting. I especially liked the fact that a certain monopolistic govt. quango with millions to (spend on) waste (but not us), was mentioned a few times. It seems like a few others are not sure what they do, whether they do whatever it is well at all, and who is accountable for the ROI we are covering for offices, staff, boards, salaries and pensions.
My addition:
'We could, of course, also consider the benefits of reuse (and repair).
While recycling is vastly more significant (after reduction) in the great Re-scheme of things, other than to those with boxes to tick and targets to meet it can often be less stimulating. The sense of doing our bit is a great one, but let's not forget the individual is doing a lot of work standing at the kitchen sink each night separating stuff, boosting other folks' profits or career-making quotas. So it's a shame that it still takes millions of our money to tell us that a can can become a plane or another can, to achieve 'significant increases in our rates' (that's recycling rates, not local taxes). Or injecting more public cash into ways to catch the public when they get confused with cotradictory or inadequate initiatives. So I'm hoping to see a lot more incentive based schemes in 2007 and a little less of the 'fine first' stuff we've been seeing this last year.
Reuse is directly and tangibly rewarding personally, often quite a lot of fun, and can save some time (all those trips out to buy something that's been lurking in the back of a cupboard all along), some money (if it's junk in your home it's free, and simply gains in value as junkk) and the planet (no reprocessing energy/consequences in collection, etc).
And, best of all, it provides an immediate sense of making a difference in your own home.
Today I'm making a Warhammer Necron Monolith with my kids out of bits and bobs from blister packs and debris from other plastic presents (not everything is practical to avoid). It's going to be unique, awesome, the envy of their mates and save me thirty odd quid... I hope (to the awesome claim).
Season's Greetings!
http://www.junkk.com'
*I'm hoping mine comes across as a bit more you can do rather than not do. 'It's is the way of Junkk, Grassshopper'.
