A Call to Action
PC: Britni Conrad
Hardly Worthy
Growing up, I was told not to take more than my share of food, yet if I did, I would have to eat it all no matter how long it took. Being wasteful was not an option.
My dad tells stories of my great grandmother and how she used a needle and thread to make a worn sock whole again. Or how when she’d bake, she would scrape the bowl clean with a spoon, making it seem less dirty than when she started. And before she’d buy something, she’d see if she could “make-do,” or use what she had on hand, first.
This mentality is something most of our generation seems to have lost. The make-do mindset has turned into “what’s easiest for me?” We’ve become less happy with what we have and we need the next best thing. Nothing is satisfying.
In the Bible, it was important that everything was used: “And when they had eaten their fill,” he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” (John 6:12)
Our planet is being stripped clean of its natural resources. Trees, natural gases and oil, once abundant, are becoming limited.
In only three months, enough aluminum cans are thrown out in the United States to rebuild all of our commercial air fleets.
After recycling, an aluminum can is usually repurposed within 60 days.
It takes 500 years for an average sized plastic water bottle to fully decompose.
Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as it takes to burn it.
Over 100,000 marine animals die every year from plastic entanglement and ingestion.
We know the facts. We know the reality. Recycling isn’t as easy as just throwing something away, yet the impact it makes is astounding. For example, it only takes 5 recycled plastic bottles to make enough fiberfill to stuff a ski jacket. So, making the choice to spend an extra 30 seconds to see if that “garbage” (bottle) can be recycled, is worth it.
After you eat or make a meal, look down under your bottle or on the back of your spoon. Most items tell you if they can be recycled. If not, look up their number to see whether they can be. God has provided us a planet with so many resources. By being conscientious and intentional with how we dispose of used items we can help to make our planet a better environment for all.
https://www.rubiconglobal.com/blog-statistics-trash-recycling/
Kasondra Reel is a senior studying nursing.