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Bea writes, “We all yearn to save time, at any cost (including the environment), so we buy into time-saving tricks that marketing campaigns promise. But who is disposability really benefiting in the end?” (P.46) What is your reaction to this statement? Do you agree/disagree and why?
I agree with this statement because I see it on a daily basis and sadly this was how I used to live (sometimes), although I wasn’t fully aware of what my decisions had on the environment at the time, even though I had always considered myself an environmentalist.
I think the statement is a bit simplistic. Some conveniences that are time-saving aren’t tricks of marketing companies. They really do save time, for example, some packaged foods that would take significant time (and sometimes more money) to make from scratch. And saving time and money is critical for many people who must work outside the home (sometimes multiple jobs) just to make ends meet. To me, the challenge is balance. How do we reduce our waste as much as possible given our individual circumstances? Johnson is very “black & white” in her approach. In my view, life is often full of tradeoffs and shades of gray. I believe an approach that acknowledges this will make the zero waste movement more accessible to many people and therefore more accessible.
I totally agree with you Cathy! I started reading Bea’s book over two years ago and didn’t get very far because I felt like I would never be able to accomplish what she did, I felt defeated before I even started. But, coming back to it this second time around I am more confident in myself and am able to give myself grace to embrace the journey.
As for the statement, I think this has been one of the more impactful ideas I’ve read lately, and it’s not just in zero waste. I have been made aware of the ‘tyranny of convenience’ time and time again over the last couple months, and it is causing me to really evaluate the things that I use and why I use them. I’m currently reading a book by Katy Bowman called ‘Movement Matters’ and a common theme throughout the book is how modern conveniences have replaced a lot of our natural movement, not only causing problems for our own health, but the health of the planet. From her book she writes “To avoid even the simplest movements, you have – without realizing it – required humans somewhere else in the world to labor endlessly, destroy ecosystems, and wage war… for your convenience.”
The more and more I think about it, the things that I am now trying to avoid, in order to live a more natural lifestyle, are items that have been invented and marketed for our convenience.
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