This week for tracking, I photographed my small trashcan from my nail work. In just one weekend, I nearly filled a bag with mostly paper and monomer-contaminated gloves. It made me think about how much waste and biohazards large-scale chemical use must generate. Even small-scale work creates more waste than I realized, highlighting how invisible […]
Waste Tracking #11 Read More »
Waste is often associated with people or things considered of lower value. This connotation exists because of the discomfort and unwantedness attached to trash itself. As mentioned earlier in the semester, dumpsites and landfills are often placed in lower-class areas, where minorities and people of lower socioeconomic status face the direct consequences of living near
In this week’s image, I see more food waste than I normally do. There are remnants of leftovers and some kind of takeout container. This makes me think about my other friends who have a specific bin for composting and how their familiar practices vary from mine. I do think that cultural background and family
Waste tracking #10 Read More »
Last week, we explored different ways of thinking about waste and how we might improve our practices. One key concept we discussed was cradle-to-cradle, which encourages us to view waste not as something to eliminate but as a valuable resource that can be reused or regenerated. This circular model contrasts with the more common cradle-to-grave
Why Cradle-to-cradle May Not Be The Solution Read More »
In this week’s picture, it is not as full as I normally see it. I do see lots of paper and tissue and other plastic items. I also see food remnants and other things that relate to the kitchen. It is important to highlight that this weekend, my family is still sick, and I also
Companies often rely on plastic to produce disposable items because it lowers packaging costs and boosts their profit margins. While they benefit economically from plastic use, they rarely take responsibility for the environmental consequences of its production and waste. Instead, the burden of managing plastic waste is shifted onto individual consumers, who are expected to
Companies’ Love-Hate Relationship with Plastic Read More »
For this week’s waste tracking, I took a picture of my trashcan at my mom’s house once again. The image shows various paper items and a big ginger ale bottle. A key point to highlight for this week is the fact that my mom and grandma were both sick during this weekend, and it is
Disposability was heavily promoted in the early stages of industrialization, especially as capitalist ideologies took hold. The economic benefits of a throwaway culture were prioritized over long-term environmental consequences. What began as an innovative concept quickly became a matter of convenience, with disposability now deeply ingrained in daily life. While disposable products contribute to pollution,
Flaws of Disposability Read More »
In this week’s waste tracking image, I took a picture from my family’s house again. The main things I see are playa bowl containers and small paper and cardboard items. My household consists of five women, and I feel that we use a lot of paper towels when being in the kitchen. I think many
A recurring theme in our readings this week was the idea that waste serves as a reflection of modern society. Scanlan uses garbage as a metaphor for modernity, which I find interesting because modernization and the rise of capitalism inevitably produce waste as a byproduct. It’s interesting to consider what society deems productive or unproductive.
Nothing Is Ever Truly Gone Read More »