"Dumped"

"Dumped"

Millions of tons of trash is being produced every day, however most people don’t know much more than that big trucks take the garbage away. There are mountains of trash around the world that are hidden from most people because it looks “ugly.” It is very unseemly and the fact that it is hidden is a major barrier towards fixing the trash problem.

            Our trip to the land fill was thought-provoking and opened my eyes to how much trash is actually being used. Going to the land fill gave me mixed feelings ranging from disgust to awe. Seeing and hearing how much trash was made in only the Denver area, 12,000 tons a day, created a pit in my stomach. The sheer amount of “stuff” that could have been recycled that goes into the landfill is nauseating.

The hole of disgust in my stomach was then filled by awe at the massive amounts of trash. It is the very symbol of human consumption and waste, we use and use and use without care for what comes after. Every person throws away six pounds of trash a day, usually without a second thought. David Orr said it best with “In reality there is no such thing as a ‘side effect’ or an ‘externality.’ These things are threads of the whole cloth.” When trash is thrown away energy is used to pick it up, transport it, compact it, and finally dump it. The trash then creates gasses harmful to the environment. Also if you throw trash into the recycle an entire load of recycling could be considered “contaminated” and taken to the dump. Even the littlest actions by one person can affect an entire community.

The picture above depicts two massive trucks dumping tons of garbage into the landfill. The idea that people could throw trash away their entire life and never see the impact that they make is staggering. These massive machines that shake the ground, maneuvering things that few people care exist. A girl’s doll being dumped as though no one ever cared about it, thrashing on top of each other’s memories until it is unrecognizable.

            The picture shows raw powerful which mimicked the raw feelings I witnessed while trying to fully grasp how much trash Denver and the Arapaho area use. Everyone should visit a landfill to grasp the amount of trash created, as well as learn how they can reduce their own imprint.