[This post was written by Megan Foster, Grant Russ, and Sara Scott in response to viewing the documentary Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home]
The film Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home addresses some compelling issues relating to recycling and social awareness. One interesting topic that comes up in the film is the general lack of knowledge relating to what really can and cannot be recycled. In addition, there are many packaging materials that are not recyclable but should be when considering how often consumers buy products packaged in those certain materials.
Reflecting on the first point, do people really know what they can put into the recycling bin? It is frequently assumed that all forms of plastic can go into the recycling bin, or that anything that is not compostable can be reused. Unfortunately, however, this is not the case. For example, plastic wrap, plastic bags, and Styrofoam cannot be recycled. These forms of packaging are generally used to package meat and other foods.
Another significant point along these lines is also emphasized in the film. Many of the things that are available to eat are packaged for convenience, such as bags of lettuce and plastic trays of sliced fruit. The plastic openings and caps on juice cartons are also not recyclable, although the rest of the container is. It is doubtful that most people take the time to remove these parts before recycling the container. Moreover, why are those extraneous materials there if they cannot be recycled? They are there for the consumer’s “convenience.” Therefore, consumers should reconsider whether these materials are worth having and unite to address these issues.
The documentary also shows the impact of people becoming socially aware when they see the significant amount of garbage that has been produced during a short experimental trial. The couple in the documentary begins changing their daily habits by making more conscionable purchases of products that are recyclable. Many people in a community may have heard of recycling, but may still not have yet grasped the social impact of garbage, as the household has in the documentary, and change their behavior accordingly.
One simple suggestion is offered here in continuing in bridging the issue of social awareness with the problems of garbage, and that is the possibility of inserting a monthly leaflet containing information mailed along within the household garbage bill. These leaflets would address different aspects of garbage. One such leaflet could show simple graphs and statistics on how much the average household produces with a brief paragraph or two in explaining the issues with garbage quantity. This would help create a socially aware community about their contribution to sustainability. Other leaflets could be about clarifying what is recyclable, and what is not, by the local recycling facility to help people recycle more appropriately. This could assist the community in buying products that are readily recyclable rather than products that would just go straight to the landfill.
This simple intervention would bring direct social awareness straight into the average household, and, by doing so, could drastically reduce the amount of garbage the household contributes to the landfill. Bringing awareness to the people is just the first step to reducing the amount of trash that ends up in the landfill, but a significant step nonetheless.
–
Sustainability History Project 
I agree that awareness is a huge obstacle. In my home I have taped the list of items that can be recycled to our refrigerator, in plain view. Yet I am constantly pulling garbage out of the recycling bin and pulling recycling out of the garbage bin.
Another obstacle is inertia or the strength of habits. We discuss what can be recycled in our family but most members of our household throw their drink bottles away rather than rinse them and separate the cap from the bottle.
Frustrating!
One member of our household puts anything into the recycling bin that HE thinks SHOULD be recycled, whether it can be recycled or not. It is his way of protesting the current system. Unfortunately, I worry that this only contaminates our recycling and may make it all “garbage”.