Civic Solutions: No, Really: We All Need to Do More to Cut Down on Waste

When I think about the holidays, one of the things my mind wanders to is all the waste, and the consumerism of it all—all the stuff thrown away that was still good, and all the packaging, wrapping paper and bags.

I know it’s a downer subject, and being the person to bring this up all of the time really sucks. It’s clearly more fun to rip off the wrapping and packaging with wild abandon than to consider the environmental impact of the paper being made, used and just thrown away.

The anxiety I often feel about these things—and other forms of waste—is what I imagine those raised during the Great Depression feel like. Just like my grandmother did, I, too, save food containers that can be used again, as well as rubber bands, twisty ties and anything else that seems like it could be reused.

What can I say? The message of “reduce, reuse and recycle” (along with the 1990s show Captain Planet and the Planeteers) really had an impact on me.

Ever since I was a kid in New Jersey, I’ve been pestering people about recycling. I luckily landed in California, where it’s taken relatively seriously, at least by residents. In New Jersey, there are still a few relatives who refuse to reduce, reuse or recycle, and when I see that Diet Coke bottle go into the regular garbage bin, I cringe. It takes all my willpower to let it go instead of giving a lecture or fishing it out and temporarily storing it in my rental car.

I try not to blame the individual. I know that there’s a lot about recycling that’s problematic, including putting the responsibility on the consumer. Even California Attorney General Rob Bonta has called out the plastics industry for acting like recycling is the answer: “For more than half a century, the plastics industry has engaged in an aggressive campaign to deceive the public, perpetuating a myth that recycling can solve the plastics crisis,” Bonta told the Los Angeles Times in 2022.

But what are we supposed to do in the face of growing landfills and climate change? Do we just throw our arms up in defeat and give up?

We cannot. So, what can we do? Here are some ideas:

• Try to go plastic-free—and single-use-free—or at least decrease it. That could mean buying a water filter instead of plastic water bottles, cooking and having leftovers instead of takeout, or buying in bulk at the grocery store.

• Love a particular product or company that uses a lot of unnecessary packaging? Write them; review them; contact them over social media, etc., to let them know that, while you love the product, you don’t appreciate the packaging—and you may look elsewhere if their sustainability efforts don’t improve.

• Similarly, you can let your elected representatives know your frustrations! (Find out who all of them are at sos.ca.gov/elections/who-are-my-representatives.)

• Buy fewer new products. Instead of contributing to the supply and demand chain, buy used items from thrift stores, online marketplaces or community yard sales. (I hold a clothing swap a few times a year where my friends and I essentially trade clothes. Knowing they’re going to a good home helps—and your wardrobe will have a few new-to-you items in it.)

• If you need to buy something new—and you can afford this option—try to buy from a local business or one that has verifiable sustainability practices. Fast fashion is difficult to avoid, but adding thoughtfulness when making purchases should help reduce textile waste and buyer’s remorse.

• Say “no.” When getting takeout, don’t accept things you don’t actually need, like napkins, plastic utensils, ketchup packets, etc. The same goes for plastic bags and, shoot, even reusable bags. I have enough reusable shopping bags and totes that I could supply my whole neighborhood. I can no longer accept free branded totes, pens, stress balls or other promotional products disguised as useful items.

• Reuse, repair and upcycle! It’s rather easy to sew a hole in most clothing, stuffed animals, sheets and other textiles. If you don’t know how to sew by hand, you can enjoy learning a new skill! Alternatively, you could hire a dry cleaner, tailor or crafty friend to sew the holes in your socks for you. Also, starting in July, Californians will also be able to repair certain goods that were previously off-limits to third-party repair shops, including Apple products, thanks to the passing of the Right to Repair Act, or SB 244.

• Donate responsibly. So much that is brought to thrift stores, especially large chain ones, ends up in the landfill. We consume and get rid of so much stuff that even the biggest thrift stores don’t have the room to store our best discard piles. Make sure whatever you donate is in usable and purchasable condition. If it isn’t, try to reuse the product—is that shirt now a rag to wipe dust off the television? Maybe an animal shelter, theater group, senior center or school could make something useful out of it, and if not, there are textile recycling programs out there—just not a lot of them. (I try to donate to retailers whose mission and values seem extraordinary. My local favorites are Revivals, the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission and Desert Best Friend’s Closet.)

• Learn about what’s recyclable in your city, and recycle those items only. Some accept all types of plastics, while others only accept specific ones. Even if something isn’t recyclable using your recycling bin, there may be a recycling event where you can bring batteries, old tech, broken hair dryers and other odds and ends.

• Compost or use city-provided compost bins. You could even join a community of composters via Desert Compost.

Speaking of community—and I’m going to challenge myself here, too—we could be creating our own local projects, spreading the mission of reducing, reusing, repairing and recycling, while also making friends! We can hold a community cleanup, help a friend go through their belongings or offer to make a donation drop for a neighbor who doesn’t drive. We can make art installations out of old bottles, display it for visiting house guests, and start a lively discussion!

The choice is yours.