I have always been very conscience of recycling, doing all that I can to help save and preserve Mama Earth for future generations- Yup- I am THAT girl with the bumper sticker "Reuse, Reduce, Recycle" on my bumper and if it is caterorgized to be recycled I recycle it...BUT...I am just about at my wits end. I am fed up! I have had it!! Before you go all nutty and say" what does she mean she has had it with recycling??" hear me out...
It is not the actual act of recycling that I have had it with... it is actually the very opposite. I could recycle till the cows come home... as long as the day is long...but what is really starting to get under my skin is the AMMOUNT that I am recycling!!...If I recycle one more pasta box, one more plastic bottle, one more piece of junk mail, I think I will get my freak on !! And not in a good way!! LOL!! Seriously though, it actually all makes me abit sad that we as a society are so fixed on "throw away". We waste so much, our minds are just stuck in a very selfish way for a one time use and then to just move on...Our landfills are overflowing...even our recycling centers are overflowing! I would love to see a movement started where we, as the consumer challenge these big companies to rethink their packaging. Not only for the impact that it will have on our environment as a whole (which, by the way, they should already be doing) but to also be more conscience forward on the WASTE of their packaging. I would love to see a movement started where we as the consumers not only demand these companies to seriously rethink their packaging and their levels of waste.. but to DELIVER a more simple, stripped down, yet functional packaging. I think what these big companies are missing in this equation is that nothing comes without a price...do they really want to see the sales of their product to suffer because they were unable or unwilling to rethink their wastefullness of their packaging? This reduction, downsizing in packaging, would and will take a mind shift, and a change for everyone innvolved. We as the consumer will probably have to sacrifice some frill and convenience, but if it means we are actively making a noticable, everyday difference in the future preservation of Mama Earth then I believe the feelings of accomplishment we will all carry will be something we will shine in the forefront of our minds the next time we are sorting out our recyling bins!
...On another more personal note, I have always had a "thing" for Gift tags, googling printers, picking out designs, and then, as I was breaking down yet another pasta box it hit me...there was my material for my future Gift Tags!!...The above is the result...I am like a kid in a candy shop because the the sky- as well as the theme- is the limit!! The theme for my first tag is "faeries"-one of my most favorite muses'! I complemented the tag with some braided fibers, some of my polymer beads and hummingbird charm and made a lace flower for the tag along with a little wire wrapped brass heart ;-D
The top photo is the front of the gift tag and here is the back of the tag...So what do you think?? What are your thoughts and views of the present packaging and the recycling of all this packaging being used? I would really love to hear from you and what your thoughts are because I do plan to continue on this... next step... sharing this blog post with some manufacturers...
Be Well! xo Liz
