A friend takes on an important and daunting challenge
Everyone says they want to do something to help the environment. I for one work daily to reduce my electrical use and, despite how I complain about it, take mass transit as often as humanly possible. But my friend Chris Halleron has taken on a challenge that can prove to be more helpful than anything. It’s also a daunting one considering the shear volume of waste he is trying to reduce.
Sure it sounds simple enough … no more plastic bags. Just carry a couple of reusable canvas bags and you’re set. But Chris describes how trying to explain to cashiers that you want neither paper nor plastic can be frustrating. After all, Think about it; from the local deli, to Radio shack, to Staples, to Shop Rite and just about everywhere, when you make a purchase, it is handed to you by reflex in a plastic bag. Straying from that tradition can garner looks of suspicion and confusion.
Thinking on a global level, these little gems of convenience are literally choking the planet. Caught in trees and floating in lakes, they will exist long after we are gone. And for what? So you don’t have to carry a reusable bag? On a personal level, Chris mentions how since being on this no-bag diet of sorts, he has reclaimed an entire kitchen cabinet. So if thinking globally gives you a headache, consider your own personal living space and how it can benefit from this simple change.
Admittedly I have yet to embark on this challenge, but since reading Chris’s article on the subject, I’ve been inspired to start. Read more on his site ChrisHalleron.com and maybe you will be inspired too. And you can visit him most nights at his bar Duffy’s in Hoboken (239 Bloomfield St).
See Also:
ChrisHalleron.com
Duffy’s on Hoboken-Bar.net
