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I deal with waste. Quite a bit of it. I do litter pick, and because of where I live there is quite a bit of it to pick up.
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I also pick up things that I think I could salvage. This is two folding chairs from someone’s hard rubbish. And here they are in parts rescued for re use or recycling.
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And these are the tools I used for the job! I will use that canvas (which was once black!!) and the wood will become stakes. The metal and hard plastic will be recycled. And finally, a small ode to my tools. I didn’t realise I’d need to use the hacksaw quite so much for this job!
This is a bag that appeared in a shopping trolley full of all kinds of things. Some were taken or thrown on the ground almost immediately. I sorted some into rubbish and recycling. This, I took apart.
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The webbing and zippers and such (top right) can’t be saved, but a lot of the component canvas parts I can use. Next stop, the laundry.
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I also look for specific kinds of waste I think I can use. I pulled this enormous billboard sized vinyl banner (it was a chemist advertising billboard) out of a dumpster because I thought I could use it for a climate action banner. Then I got a request for a game of Twister (do you remember Twister?) on a climate action theme. So here I am sewing screen printed patches onto it for its next life as a game. There is a LOT of it left for other uses.
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Our household participated in some PhD research about waste reduction and the circular economy. The researcher conceptualised these kinds of activities as “waste work” and had a lot of very interesting questions about who does it and how it is shared. I have questions of my own about the fact that I feel drawn to bring home old folding chairs and deconstruct them! However–on a global level, most waste work is done by people in the global South, and by people of colour living in poverty. I don’t think I’m too special to shoulder some of what can be done in my corner of town.
It is interesting that poverty seems to lead to a more environmentally friendly action. What is considered waste is a moving line, dependent on the ability to get more.
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Good on you. I love seeing how you not only pick up waste to redirect it to appropriate bins/recycling channels, but also repurpose discarded items or disassemble them and use the parts. I am always interested in how people do this and what they make as this sort of creativity inspires me and gives me ideas to try in my neighbourhood too.
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How fabulous!
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Beautiful Mary I also pick up rubbish, along my street and the side of the river. I don’t want more fish to choke on the plastic. I’ll think of you doing your bit while I do mine.
Monica O’Wheel 0434 058 340
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Thank you dear Monica! I carry my companions with me in my heart as I work too. The ones I know in person and those I meet on the interwebs.
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