Apparently some Americans use paper plates for EACH AND EVERY MEAL they have. You wonder why the Chinese oppose that advanced countries like the US impose green energy restrictions on them. I remember when I was young, paper plates are only used when there's no water supply or when there was a party. They were, still are (in my family), considered sacred or treasured expensive items.
It's obvious that using paper plates in such a way is wasteful, but it also shows a lack of education amongst people. We have come to an extent where material things come so easily that we don't appreciate things. I am no perfect too. But I think I have the right to condemn such wastage. I talked to my friend about this yesterday and he said we might have to think about the water used to clean plates. I did think about that but I think throwing away paper plates is more wasteful than washing plates. Just imagine how much energy has been used for a tree, the chopped down, processed and transported to stores; whereas a plate is made of clay then you reuse it infinitely many times. Water is also recycled more easily than growing a tree, I would imagine.
Talking about water - the Victorian Government has been asking Victorians to use less than 155l liters of water daily. I had been wondering about that until I received my latest bill. There are 3 in my apartment and we use 209 liters a day, which means less than 70 liters per person per day! That's even less than half of what is prescribed. I don't really understand why people take a long shower though - you get wrinkly skin? I mean, you can't wash away sin by splashing 20 litres of water on yourself.
I know the 70 liters consist of washing dishes, drinking water, washing laundry, shower and toilet. However it still daunts on me that I could easily splash 25 (roughly) bottles of 1-liter bottled water on myself daily. Why has the government never thought of such an advertisement to educate people from using water excessively. They could easily show the direct effect of "more wastage on shower, less water for drinking".
That brings me to bottled water - what's with this bottled-water drinking culture? What has happened to the good old boiling-water-n-a-kettle practice? If I remember correctly the statistics, million tonnes of plastic from bottled water are brought to landfill yearly. Millions!! Personally I can accept buying bottled water if you must, when you are outside. However, it totally overwhelms me when people have to do that when they are at home! Look at so many fridges in so many families, especially, from what I have seen, in the US, every fridge has bottled water! Let's not forget it's so easy to throw away unfinished water - that's another wastage. From family, moving on, to corporations - paper cups...
Some people are addicted to alcohol, some people are addicted to ice, some people are addicted to... papers.
Some people may not be stupid - they are ignorant.
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