We get only one planet, people.

Some guy just posted on our Garrison Commander's Q&A page, complaining about how the trash pick-up was missed in his housing area this week due to the holiday. That is a valid issue to bring up, really. It would be great to get an official statement from the trash collection company about what was going to be done to make up for the missed pick-up from the holiday. The city simply ran a couple days behind this week due to the holiday, and it worked out fine for everyone. I'm sure it wasn't great for the workers who had to come in on Saturday, but all the trash did get picked up, and all the city employees, including the garbage truck crews, got Thanksgiving off, which I think is only fair. Apparently post's plan wasn't so smooth, and that really has been an issue for some people. Like I said, it's a legitimate issue to raise.

The part that slayed me was that this guy said he has 2-year-old twins and fills the entire can (the curbside pick-up can. A BIG one.) with dirty diapers before half the week is out. You have GOT to be kidding me. Really, it's a joke right? Tell me it's a joke. If this guy is for real, that is freaking disgusting. How can anyone generate that much garbage and live with themselves? That is two full trash cans per week of stuff that's not going to biodegrade even within our great-great-great-grandchildren's lifetime! It doesn't even include the rest of the trash these people must generate. That's just bad.

This isn't an isolated incident, though. Others raised a huge stink when the post housing office replaced one of the two trash cans issued to each family, with a recycling can, thus leaving them one for trash and one for recycling. Our new General is really environmentally conscious. He wants his soldiers to do the right thing for the planet, and let's just say nobody on Colonel Row has had a single problem accomplishing it, so we know it's feasible. (Really, what's good enough for several Colonels and a two-star General is absolutely good enough for everybody here.) The problem comes with the rest of the masses. They were PISSED about having their second trash cans taken, claimed they didn't have the time to recycle, freaked out about what they were supposed to do with all the garbage... It really blew my mind.

First of all, I had no idea there existed people who don't recycle. How does that go? I mean, I can't remember ever NOT recycling. I remember having to drive our recycling somewhere to drop it off, and frankly, I never had curbside recycling pick-up except two times in my life. Once was when I lived on post at Ft. Stewart, and the other time is here. Other than that, yes, even off post at Ft. Stewart, we had to load our recycling in the car and take it to the sorting and pick-up station. Even so, not recycling was never a consideration. I really didn't have any friends who didn't recycle either, as far as I know. The fact that some people don't recycle, especially if they have curb-side pick-up is pretty much incomprehensible to me. Why wouldn't you if you know it's the right thing to do?

Secondly, it just blows my mind that people can generate so much garbage. We are a family of four, which is a very common family size. We have NEVER ONCE filled a trash can more than halfway in a week. How would you even find that much stuff to throw away?

I just think it's important for people to see the trash can as a last resort. If our planet is going to be any good for our kids, we can't clutter it with trash (And how trippy is it that disposable diapers are the 3rd biggest bulk item in America's landfills? Parents are pretty much saddling their children with their own waste in the future. That's really a crazy thing to think about.) Here are some ways to cut down on trash:

1) Can the item be repurposed? (Stained or torn clothes can be made into other stuff like book bags, quilts, or pillows. Boxes, tubes, and other packaging can be fun for kids to play with.)

2) Can someone else use the item? (There are Goodwill donation points all over this city. Give stuff you don't want that's still in good condition to them.)

3) Is the item compostable? (Even apartment dwellers can have a small compost bin on their balconies. Your potted plants will thank you for composting your scraps.)

4) Is the item recyclable? (Get the list from the city on what we recycle here. It's not as good as other places, but it's still enough that the majority of families should have more recycling than trash.)

Only items which meet none of the above criteria should be thrown in the trash. The trash should never be the first stop. We only get one planet, and frankly, I want better for my kids than a mountain of garbage. Don't you want better for yours, too?