Joe Kleine
9 September 2014
Composition II
Essay I
American Waste
Waste can be a very tricky topic. It seems to be an issue that is fueled by emotion and
loud voices screaming at a pitch high enough for us all to hear the effects. Blame is pushed on
many different industries – agriculture, fossil fuel production, and the American commuter, just
to name a few. Our world is running out of resources to keep up with increasing demands for
food, fuel, and the containers that hold each of these. This has led many people to question
current practices in households across the nation. Are American’s truly doing their part to ensure
our society is eco-friendly? Yes, the green movement has swept the nation. However, are we
doing enough? The American population is at a point where we must make substantial changes
in order to ensure future generations can enjoy the world we are living on today. There are many
ways Americans can curb our waste production, including refillable cups, reusable grocery bags,
and ditching the car for a bike.
American waste is becoming a huge problem. According to environmentalist Bill
McKibben, “Americans discard enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet
every three months – and aluminum represents less than one percent of our solid waste stream.”
Unfortunately, this is not the only staggering statistic that is opening the eyes of many
Americans. A study presented by Daytona State College concluded that “Americans use an
estimated 16 billion paper coffee cups annually.” Additionally it was found that “paper cups
generate 253 million pounds of solid waste per year.” These numbers expose just one popular
American industry – coffee. Imagine the effects of adding in “pop stops” at gas stations and
plastic or Styrofoam cups from fast food restaurants. We are using tons of paper cups each year,
and just throwing them away. This has led many companies, including Starbucks, to release
environmentally action plans in attempts to reduce waste. Starbucks sells reusable cups to its
customers and boasts a ten cents discount per cup of coffee if you use one of their cups, or bring
your own tumbler, rather than taking one of their paper products. Additionally, they provide
recycling receptacles to place your paper cup in if you forgot to bring your own eco-friendly
mug. Daytona State College also found that “Starbucks found that coffee drinkers used reusable
cups an estimated 17 million times and avoided an estimated 674,000 pounds of solid waste in
landfills.” Although this environmentally friendly company will not be able to solve the entire
paper cup waste issue, their stance is a step in the right direction. Starbucks is also in good
company. Gas stations like Kum and Go, 7 Eleven, and Quicktrip offer similar incentives to
bring your own cup, or buy one of their reusable ones. Saying “no” to excessive use and waste of
plastic cups is just one of the ways that Americans can begin to reduce the amount waste we
produce per year.
I can vividly remember going to the grocery store once a week with my mother when I
was younger. We filled the grocery cart to the brim, and then proceeded to sit in the checkout
line for what seemed like an eternity. Watching the workers bag our groceries in their gray
plastic bags with the yellow smiley face was one of my favorite parts. I loved the noise the bags
made, and was always amazed at how many items they could fit into each bag. However, it
always seemed that at the end of the day we came home with hundreds of plastic bags, and they
all went straight to the trash. They completed their purpose, and we were quickly done with
them. I never realized how much plastic my family used. Multiply that by every person here in
the United States, and that’s a lot of plastic waste per year! In fact, the Natural Resources
Defense Council estimates that the average American family takes home roughly 1,500 plastic
shopping bags per year. The Wall Street Journal reports that “Americans use and dispose of 100
billion plastic shopping bags each year and at least 12 million barrels of oil are used per year in
the manufacture of those plastic grocery bags.” This has left our country asking ourselves a
puzzling question: what can we do to reduce the amount of plastic bags that are used per year?
The answer is actually quite simple – much like reusable plastic cups, we must incorporate more
reusable bags into our weekly grocery routine. This is simple with grocery stores such as Aldi
popping up across the nation. We actually have one right here in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Aldi
pushes its customers to choose eco-friendly options such as bags that can be used time and time
again. They discourage the use of plastic bags by charging for them at the register if you believe
that you cannot live without a plastic bag to get your groceries home. Aldi also encourages
shoppers to use empty food boxes in the aisles to transport food home, reducing the need for
plastic bags. Carrying reusable bags on every grocery excursion will drastically reduce the
amount of plastic bags that are temporarily used and then disposed of. This is another simple
way that Americans can cut waste.
The EPA reports that “The combustion of fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel to
transport people and goods is the second largest source of CO2 emissions, accounting for about
32% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 27% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2012. This
category includes transportation sources such as highway vehicles, air travel, marine
transportation, and rail.” Although driving vehicles and using modes of transportation such as
planes and trains is not the number one cause of CO2 emissions in our air, it does come in a tight
second, making it an issue that needs to be addressed. No, CO2 emissions will not affect your
health, but according to Bill McKibben, “in sufficient quantity it melts the ice caps, converts
grassland into desert, and turns every coastal city into New Orleans.” That is why it is important
that this issue is addressed. Transportation keeps the world turning and the economy would
collapse if our means of transportation were cut off, so it is vital to continue. However, easy
substitutions can reduce the impact of transportation on carbon dioxide emissions into the
atmosphere. Simply riding a bike to run quick errands can pose a great alternative to chugging
your diesel truck into town for a few minutes. Aside from helping cut back on waste and helping
the environment, you can also save some green in your pocket on gas. If bike-riding is not your
thing, walk. You’ll get great exercise and ample time to clear your head from the stresses of
daily life. All of life’s errands are not within biking or walking distance, however if they are,
why would you not chose the eco-friendly, alternative route?
Switching to reusable cups and mugs, reusable shopping bags, and biking or walking
rather than driving are some great ways Americans can begin to cut back on waste. However,
these steps can be overwhelming to some if they are taken all at once. Aside from these ways to
cut back, there are some simple changes everyone can make to their daily life that will make an
impact on waste when it is added up. Several of these are steps that we as college students can
easily take. For example, when printing at the library, chose to print double sided rather than
single pages. A twenty page document can easily be cut in half just by the click of a button,
which can save thousands of trees each year. Enrolling in automatic of e-bill pay is another way
to effectively reduce unnecessary paper consumption. With today’s society geared around
technology, there are fewer and fewer people who opt to receive their bills in the mail when they
can be e-mailed to your inbox with the click of a mouse. This switch can also effectively
decrease paper usage and save trees across the world. Unplugging your laptop charger, phone
charger, or even television when you are done using them can cut back on energy consumption
in your home. This doubles as an energy saver, as well as a money saver. For the avid gardener,
using kitchen compost as fertilizer is a great way to have a fantastic yard while at the same time
reducing the amount of chemicals and pesticides that are released into the environment. This
method takes waste that would originally be thrown in the trash and turns it into a great fertilizer;
this method is truly Mother Nature’s way of recycling.
The screams are loud, and it’s high time we listen. American waste is at an all-time high.
In order to ensure a prosperous future for our nation and planet, it is necessary that we make
small changes to cut back on our natural resource and energy consumption. For the faint hearted,
there are options that do not take much thought or effort. For the environment conscience, there
are some “green” ways that can make a big difference just by a few switches. Regardless of how
much you want help the cause, there is something you can do. American is floating in trash.
Soon, the monster we have created will suffocate us. The question of “are we doing enough?”
continues to haunt us. Cutting back waste is not difficult, it just takes some courageous
individuals to start a wave that will make a difference.
Works Cited
"Chose to Reuse." Daytona State University. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.daytonastate.edu/green/files/choosetoreusepresentation_1512430.pdf>.
McKibben, Bill. "Waste Not, Want Not." Academic Universe: Research and Writing at
Oklahoma State University. Edition 2 ed. Plymouth: Hayden McNeil, 2012. 364-364.
Print.
"Natural Resources Defense Council." “ The Earth's Best Defense. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.nrdc.org/>.
"Reducing Waste." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.epa.gov/greenhomes/ReduceWaste.htm>.
.