Day 213
My office had a little going away pizza party for a coworker last week. As the meal was winding up and the table was being cleared. I suddenly spied something that caused me to make a mad lunge across the table. I whipped the lid off the pizza box that was being stacked for the trash and triumphantly held up a cache of unused napkins adorned with the Extreme Pizza Logo.
Success–then there was slight awkward pause as I realized most of my coworkers were giving me a raised eyebrow look. `
One said, “Oh, right you are the Simple Lady.” (not exactly, but close enough) as if they were explaining away the slightly batty actions of their Great Aunt Gertrude who wrapped up her cat for a birthday gift.
IN MY DEFENSE
First, I don’t buy paper products but, I like to have a few napkins in my car in case of drippy noses or sticky hands. I guess more importantly though, we throw away lots of things. And when I say “we”, I mean all of us, including myself. I’m not casting stones.
I think for me, I’ve realized that I have a tendency to throw away things that don’t need to be tossed, out of convenience. (like the extra napkins from a meal). I also have thrown away quite a few things that probably could have had some sort of second life. But out of impatience, I threw them in the trash, ironically, usually in a fit of purging to simplify, rather than expending any effort donating or listing them on a Freecycle type website.
I don’t think I am the only one, I was driving through my neighborhood last week on trash morning and I noticed all types of items stacked up for removal, a chair, some plywood and—oddly—a complete toilet. I was in a hurry or I would have stopped to take a photo.
Here is a picture I did manage to snap a few weeks ago at a house, across the street from the local elementary school.
It looks like SOMEBODY is getting coal in their stocking this year.
So, during The Simple Year, I am making the effort to examine the things I toss out. If they truly need to go to the landfill, so be it. But, if I don’t need them, perhaps someone else will. Because, I am SURE there is SOMEONE out there that could reuse a headless Father Christmas…
As I was emptying out my house to move, I was amazed at how quickly things disappeared from my curb. I knew the child’s slide would go quickly, but items like the concrete “rings” for the yard, leftover materials from the new flooring, the old and very smelly refrigerator; I was amazed not only that they were taken, but nearly everything went the day it was put on the curb, typically within hours. I was amazed and glad that so many people saved these items from the trash. I was moving 1100 miles away so I was trying to purge as much as I could!
I am sure you already know this, but freecycle.org is perfect for the things you can’t or don’t want o sell (not worth the time & energy) but don’t want to throw away either. I got rid of a lot of stuff in my basement this way this year.