TRASH TRASH! Your own opinion on the topic?

Question

Did you know that according to the Environmental Protection Agency, we [americans] throw out about 236 million tons of garbage each year!

Do you think the government should restrict/regulate how much every household/business can throw out a week?

I am writing a paper on this and want to know other peoples opinions on this subject! thanks!!

Answer 1

No I don't think the government should tell us how much garbage we can have. If the government wanted to help reduce the amount of garbage that Americans create they would need to have recycling and composting programs nationwide. It would have to be readily accessible to everyone and the standards would also have to apply to businesses which lets face it create far more waste than any one household.

http://badhuman.wordpress.com

Answer 2

Hello, Breonna.

Whatever proposals might appear please take the discussion a step further.

Yes, we Americans generate a lot of trash. Much of the trash is not even thought of in our normal day-to-day activities: the foil wrapper from the PopTart, that sock you've worn out and tossed away, the plastic bottle that used to contain the SunnyD, those quizzes in the bottom of your book bag, the pen that ran out in Science class, your straw paper and empty milk jug, the blob of creamed corn you didn't eat from lunch. Think of how much trash YOU generate before your day is half-done.

How would the government order YOU to cut your trash in half? The foil on the PopTart is there to protect the food from spoiling and contamination. The SunnyD bottle has to be made of plastic for the same reason. What would the government demand you do with your worn-out sock? Should the government demand that teachers no longer give quizzes? Your straw comes wrapped in paper or plastic to keep it clean. The milk jug has to be sanitized for your safety. Should the government be able to force you to eat all the creamed corn?

Being frugal with our resources is common sense but should the government force you to bring your own tin cup from home and drink straight from the school cow? What would be appropriate punishment for someone who throws a sock away just because there's a hole in the heel? Should the government set a two-hole standard for worn-out socks?

It is real easy for someone to say, "The government should force everyone to make less trash." Real easy. But what happens when the government does that? Where will they start? Where will they draw the line and say, "Well, that's allowed. You can throw away that underwear, it's got four good skidmarks and the elastic is shot. Just fill out this form."? Do you want the government sending Trash Police to your house every day to make sure you're not eating PopTarts? Should the government go to the PopTart factory and demand they just drop those tasty toaster pastries into the recyclable cardboard box without a barrier to prevent moisture and bacteria?

Where is the line to be drawn and who should draw it? Who will set the standards for what is or is not trash? Who will determine the amount of trash each person can generate?

This is why it is important to think about things past the "feel good" part of believing you're doing something. You have to think about HOW it will be done. WHO will do it. WHO will control it. WHO will it hurt.

Don't be afraid to stand up and ask these questions. Too many people in recent years have been afraid to ask these questions.

Answer 3

I think this is what the government really wants,

they don't really seem to care.

&most of americans don't really seem to care either.

Answer 4

Well, in my opinion, I think that even if the government is making laws such as those, but the first people that should start to so about the environment are the politicians. Nowadays, the garbage that we throw out is even more then 236 million tons of garbage (but do not know exactly how much).

Answer 5

yes! and i also think they should make others recycle too!

Answer 6

I personally don't think the gov't should tell the people how much they should throw away. If a family wants to put out a ton of garbage every week, then they should be able to. During Christmas, I entertained over 50 people and of course I used paper plates. I wasn't going to stuck in the kitchen, just throw the plates and cups in the garbage and get new ones. Then my 5 kids got lots of presents and there was just so much garbage out on the curb after Christmas. I don't know how much there was, but I know all 6 of my garbage cans were totally overflowing not to mention at least 25 Hefty bags stuffed with garbage. I hired a nice young man to take out my garbage and when the garbage man finally came to my house, it felt so good to have them haul it all away!

Answer 7

No. I don't.Am I to carry my pizza home in my hands? Or not allowed to eat it in my home?Because of the box? What to do with the damm box? Tack it on the wall as art? Throw it in the garbage which is normal,clean,safe thing to do?You people better get a grip on reality before you lose all your freedoms,even the ones you have no time to think of because you are looking at stupid solutions that will not work.My garbage is no one else's business,now if my city had recycling yes I would make the effort,I have lived places before where it was done it is no hardship really.But for government to ban my garbage is stupid.Its really scary what they are teaching in schools these days using OUR tax dollar.Its not your tax dollar you don't work yet.But when it will be your taxes you may finally understand why we think our world can be better without paying for every little thing.Hope that cleared it up for you,common sense can't be bought you either have it or you don't.

Answer 8

TRASH?

YUMMY!!!!

Answer 9

Think about Prohibition: there will always be those for and against.  So restrictions are pointless.  Regulations on the other hand are the only way everyone can enjoy some degree of agreement. If we leave it up to the government to make the rules, it will do so in a very inefficient way that will infringe on a FEW people in the form of fines and jail.

If we make rules designed to change behavior, we will end up right where prohibition led us: problems, war, wasted money and unnecessary deaths.

If we choose to accept personal and corporate RESPONSIBILITY, rather than taking the BOTTOM LINE into account, we'll actually change our own minds, our actions and our output; AND we'll save money in the long run. We'll both save money and not have to undergo the traumatic experience of having our minds changed for us.

So the solution is and has always been, change your own wasteful habits. If everyone did this, the total amount of garbage would decline. Unfortunately how many of us have the extra time and energy it takes to recycle, compost, and have our own gardens?  

Massive piles of garbage are just one of the problems of living in a society where everything is done for you.

Answer 10

I believe it, I think as americans we are very wasteful.  I remember being a child in the 80's and being required to recycle in New York as well as when I lived in Vermont.  Now I live in the South (Georgia in particular) and recycling is not required at all. Its a shame that most people here don't recycle plastic, aluminium cans or newspaper.  Here you have to pay to recycle, but when I lived up north, you didn't pay to recycle but were required to recycle (they even gave you plastic bins for your recycling).  I think we should do more recycling instead of filling landfills with garbage.

Answer 11

I am not in favor of more governmental regulation forcing people to recycle more of their trash, but I am in favor of more education and programs that will make it easier for people to recycle.  

I wish more people knew about Freecycle!

http://www.freecycle.org/

Answer 12

i thin its quite impossible with household but business group or industries can be restricted.  But due to this restriction production will drop and market demands will suffer.