Saturday, July 11, 2009

Green Dilemma

I like to think that I do my best to be *green* but it seems like there are so many sides to every situation.

Besides living *green*, I also enjoy a life free of clutter. And as choosy as I try to be, inevitably I always create waste.

My current dilemma is this one:

When we moved into this boat, the previous owner had stashed in the storage compartments enough plastic ware, cups, and Styrofoam plates to throw a rather large party. A party much too large to take place on a 33-foot boat. My theory is that he preferred to use disposable items instead of wasting precious freshwater to wash reusable dishes.

Problem is, said disposables have been taking up space under the settee and messing with my chi.

I figure I have a few options:
1. I can wear a disguise while I guiltily use them up and throw them away.
2. I can give them to someone else, who will use them up and throw them away.
3. I can simply throw them away... ensuring that they never served any practical purpose other than wasting space and resources.

Any which way I spin it, these disposable items are going to end up in the dumpster and will, most definitely, spend the rest of their existence in a landfill or the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

What is a girl to do??

3 comments:

  1. I can help you with your decision if you have not alreayd decided what to do. The plates will become waste eventually so you might as well make life slightly simpler for yourself by using them up. Even if you somehow created art with them...they will SOMEDAY become landfill and take up space. Do yourself a favor, use them (and justify it by saying you wont be wasting water). Try as we may to be green... there will always be and always has been garbage.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes I am really behind. All that travelling I did in June & July got me all out of sync. So, if you're still debating what to do with them...what about donating them to a shelter? I am sure they could make use of them & then *you* don't have to have them around while you're trying to use them up. This also eliminates the need for a disguise. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. dawn: i love that idea. very clever and thoughtful! thanks!

    ReplyDelete