Documentary Planet Garbage

Walter Palmer said:
this looks like it was just forgotten. How much of our trash is stuff we just forgot as we were so engrossed in an interesting IRL conversation (or on the phone)?
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Not really, Walter. It's just that people don't care to throw their stuff in a bin, even if it's at hand's reach.
This is the point that drives me nuts. It's the adults "model" role behaviour on a children's playground I come across nearly daily. How are these kids ever to learn to act in a socially responsible way?
 
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New excesses ...

M.
 
wee-pics said:
Not really, Walter. It's just that people don't care to throw their stuff in a bin, even if it's at hand's reach.
This is the point that drives me nuts. It's the adults "model" role behaviour on a children's playground I come across nearly daily. How are these kids ever to learn to act in a socially responsible way?
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To me it looks forgotten. Top on, partially full, upright on the bench - what I would do if I were talking to a friend. And I am cognizant of the many times that friend - or a shop keeper - has stopped me and said "your camera..." Several busy restaurants have held my cameras waiting for my return. It's a little embarrassing sometimes, but generally I'm okay with the conversation being worth as much as the gear. Hearts are important.
Modern problem. I can't ever remember leaving a 4x5 camera on a bench or in a restaurant. These little things are SO easy to forget! 🤣
 
Walter Palmer said:
To me it looks forgotten. Top on, partially full, upright on the bench - what I would do if I were talking to a friend. And I am cognizant of the many times that friend - or a shop keeper - has stopped me and said "your camera..." Several busy restaurants have held my cameras waiting for my return. It's a little embarrassing sometimes, but generally I'm okay with the conversation being worth as much as the gear. Hearts are important.
Modern problem. I can't ever remember leaving a 4x5 camera on a bench or in a restaurant. These little things are SO easy to forget! 🤣
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Agree, Walter.

Having ADD/ADHD makes me very prone to having these problems. Over 75 years, I've developed coping strategies that mostly work. My tiny E-PM2 is tied onto my wrist (wrist strap), so lesser likelihood of my forgetting it.
 
Walter Palmer said:
Then you should probably get out more. I assure you, there are A LOT of people who would love matching shoes - whatever their condition. And "some of them are nice people".
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I hear you - but it all depends on how things work in your part of the world. Around here (I'm talking about Central Europe), the "canonical" way wouldn't be to just leave them outside your door but to take them to a facility or organisation that reuse or redistribute them. There are plenty, and they're easy to find - I could show you at least five in my vicinity (sometimes, they're just containers - simple to access).

This way, within a few days, the little (or even considerable) life that's still in them will be wasted and lost; people in need (specifically the homeless) very often keep away from residential neighbourhoods because they're invariably chased off if they are noticed. If we want to care for those in need, we'd better make sure we do it in an appropriate way (which may very well vary from place to place!). In these parts, I'd bet that these get just swept up eventually by either garbage disposal or street cleaners and will never see use again. So, yes, as seen from our perspective, they are most probably going to be garbage ... Which makes it quite irritating to see it done this way.

And yes, I do have an issue with the fact that we don't have a commonly agreed upon culture of sharing/handing on/handing down important basic goods in my part of the world. I have started to at least carry my unused stuff directly to charities (sometimes even things that are essentially new or have seen little use - for whatever reason), and I feel it's a much better way of "disposing" of things that can still be used or useful. I always ask if what I have to give is worth it for them, too - so that they don't end up having to throw it away, either.

That said, even I have at times picked up the odd item from a "free" pile - but I feel kind of odd when I do that because I certainly don't need to profit from such "offers". So, all in all, I'd rather make sure things go where they are needed or made available to those in need, respectively - and that's what makes me wary of just leaving stuff out for grabs.

M.
 
MoonMind said:
I hear you - but it all depends on how things work in your part of the world. Around here (I'm talking about Central Europe), the "canonical" way wouldn't be to just leave them outside your door but to take them to a facility or organisation that reuse or redistribute them. There are plenty, and they're easy to find - I could show you at least five in my vicinity (sometimes, they're just containers - simple to access).

This way, within a few days, the little (or even considerable) life that's still in them will be wasted and lost; people in need (specifically the homeless) very often keep away from residential neighbourhoods because they're invariably chased off if they are noticed. If we want to care for those in need, we'd better make sure we do it in an appropriate way (which may very well vary from place to place!). In these parts, I'd bet that these get just swept up eventually by either garbage disposal or street cleaners and will never see use again. So, yes, as seen from our perspective, they are most probably going to be garbage ... Which makes it quite irritating to see it done this way.

And yes, I do have an issue with the fact that we don't have a commonly agreed upon culture of sharing/handing on/handing down important basic goods in my part of the world. I have started to at least carry my unused stuff directly to charities (sometimes even things that are essentially new or have seen little use - for whatever reason), and I feel it's a much better way of "disposing" of things that can still be used or useful. I always ask if what I have to give is worth it for them, too - so that they don't end up having to throw it away, either.

That said, even I have at times picked up the odd item from a "free" pile - but I feel kind of odd when I do that because I certainly don't need to profit from such "offers". So, all in all, I'd rather make sure things go where they are needed or made available to those in need, respectively - and that's what makes me wary of just leaving stuff out for grabs.

M.
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Yes. We have agencies as well, but increasingly, people are just leaving stuff by the roadway for whomever needs it. I hear it's because there are so many of our homeless population that are wary of shelters and ANY institutions set up to help them. It is hard to get some people to go to a shelter even in the freezing weather. So, more and more direct contact is starting to happen here.
 
Walter Palmer said:
Yes. We have agencies as well, but increasingly, people are just leaving stuff by the roadway for whomever needs it. I hear it's because there are so many of our homeless population that are wary of shelters and ANY institutions set up to help them. It is hard to get some people to go to a shelter even in the freezing weather. So, more and more direct contact is starting to happen here.
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Thanks for shedding some light on this - I wasn't aware of things being this grim; however, after a week in Berlin, I can see things developing in the same direction here as well (I've lived in cities for half of my life, but never encountered so many people so far down on their luck and/or out of their wits). So, and maybe even soon, we'll have to look at some ways of acting rather differently. We'll have to see ...

M.
 
@MoonMind Matt, even here in Australia, the richest country in the world, with the most even distribution of that wealth, we have problems of homelessness that are just plain bloody inexcusable. Governments of all stripes selling off public housing and not replacing it.

A house like ours could easily and comfortably house 6-10 people or more. However, taxes related to selling and buying something more appropriate for the two of us make it completely financially stupid to 'downsize'. And besides, smaller homes cost as much, or more ...

As for recycling and reusing ... Well, most "charities" here want goods that are essentially new! The slightest defect, and they reject it!

I've lived for about 5 years in a 6x6m tin shed, with no running water and a long drop toilet. Many more in pretty grotty rental accommodation. I would have just about killed for some of the stuff that routinely ends up in landfill here.

I could go on, and on, and on, but you get the gist of it. We need to do "Better", as Atul Gawande said in his eponymous book.
 

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