Where does our stuff really go?
We have a lot of stuff. When we are done with the stuff, it has to go somewhere, and we then think of it as ‘away’, at least from us. But there is no ‘away’; there is just somewhere else, be it in the ocean plastic patch, the city compost bin, or the closet of a friend. One of our goals in living our best Renewable Lives is to give as much of what we are done with a new home or use as possible. You are reading this so it’s safe to say that you are aware of this ‘away’ problem and are as vigilant as possible about mindfully retiring your belongings. Unfortunately, that effort often works against us when stuff doesn’t end up where we expect it to: carefully recycled plastic bottles end up burning and cardboard pizza boxes land in landfills. Luckily some solutions for ‘away’ have more transparent than others and can actually lead to a reduced impact for all of our effort. To help you meditate on your ‘away’ strategy and choose ore closed-loop options, consider the following examples of where we think we send stuff, where it may actually end up, and ideas for where it could go instead.
Single-use plastic juice bottle
| Where we think it goes | Where it may actually go | Where it could go instead |
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| Recycled into a new plastic bottle | Burned as plastic waste | Upcycled into a bird feeder |
Vegetable scraps from cooking dinner
| Where we think it goes | Where it may actually go | Where it could go instead |
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| City composting facility, then community garden | Adding methane emissions to the county landfill | Frozen to add to vegetable stock later |
Well loved cell phone
| Where we think it goes | Where it may actually go | Where it could go instead |
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| Traded in and refurbished | Releasing contaminants into unregulated scrap heap | Second screen entertainment center or home impact monitor |
Takeout container
| Where we think it goes | Where it may actually go | Where it could go instead |
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| City recycling processor | Sorted into the landfill because of food contamination | Washed and reused as food storage or garden planter |
Sweater with small tear
| Where we think it goes | Where it may actually go | Where it could go instead |
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| Donated to a used clothing exporter | Thrown away because of wearability at the time of donation | Donated to an apparel renew and repair organization |
In the end, no ‘away’ strategy can work 100% for everyone all of the time. It’s up to us to stay clever and keep our eye on our own choices. Where do you send your stuff ‘away’ to?
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