I was lucky enough to see a new film out in cinemas called Trashed. Presented by Jeremy Irons and directed by Candida Brady, it is a thought provoking documentary. Trashed is the story of our rubbish, what happens to it and what will happen to us - and our children, if we don't change the way we live. It was sobering, shocking, upsetting but ultimately it was uplifting.
If more people watch it, more people will become aware of the cul de sac we are boxing ourselves into and maybe each of those people will think about the effects of decisions we make every day that increase landfill, pollute our oceans, air and earth.
I've made changes in the way I shop already. I always took my bags for life to the supermarket but now I take a bag for all shopping. Considering if the purchase is necessary and how to reduce the amount of packaging in any purchase is now a part of the decision making process.
At the end of the movie I was lucky enough to be part of a Q & A with Jeremy and Candida, they revealed they had shown this to MPs, and were planning to extend it into schools and colleges. I hope they are able to. It's a message that should be heard as far and wide as is possible.
Never mind an age appropriate warning, this film should come with a message:
Warning! Watching this movie will seriously affect your consumer conscience.
Have you seen it yet?
Not seen it but like you, use the bags for life for all shopping, and reduce packaging where I can. And whilst I applaud the reason behind making the film, I do wonder just how much difference it will make.... there are certain sections of our society who couldn't give a toss about what goes into landfill, have no conscience either social or otherwise, so how do you get the message across to the 'I'm all right Jack, stuff the rest of you?' brigade? I suppose we just have to hope that somehow this will filter down into the education system, so that the next generations(s) take the message on board and carry it through to adulthood, never mind what their parents think and do.
ReplyDeleteI so agree with you Maggie, and this was my initial thought too. Let's hope one day it will be as the trailer says, like driving without a seat belt - a bad habit corrected by raising awareness.
ReplyDeleteLike you we use our own shopping bags, not just in supermarkets but for other things too. We compost all food waste and make sure we separate those packaging items we can't avoid for the various council bins we have but I still wonder if the recycling ever gets used for that purpose or if it just goes to landfill. When I see people drop litter in the street, throw takeway cartons and bags out of car windows or leave cans and bottles around it disturbs me. These things may seem small in comparison to the bigger issues of industrial waste and etc but if we could all accept responsibility for our own area then surely the awareness will spread and grow. It looks an interesting film:)
ReplyDeleteYes too true Rosie, one of the things the film highlighted is that incinerators have to operate at a certain capacity, if they don't they become unprofitable, and some councils in the past have sold on their waste to them. But incinerators have a massive health risk for the local populations, due to air borne dioxins that are not captured in the filtering process, therefore something else needs to be done - reuse, recycle and reduce is the only way forward for everyone. I think it is easy to feel impotent in the face of a global problem but if everyone gets on the bad wagon change will come. Individuals can make a difference if they wield the power of their wallets.
ReplyDeleteThere is a big debate going on not too far from where I live re incinerators, which has made the national news on more than one occasion. Plans for a huge incinerator have met with incredible opposition from people living in the area, there are hoardings everywhere protesting about it, and now it is down to the government to decide apparently.
DeleteAfter what I saw about incinerators I would not want to live near one, so good for the protestors. I hope the government officials who decide see this film first. The trouble is, the practicalities, what to do with it if we don't burn it?
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ReplyDeleteI have added this movie to my Netflix waiting list. It sounds very interesting. We always carry cloth bags of some sort with us, but oddly we still end up with plastic bags. I can't imagine how many plastic bags people who do not use reusable bags end up with! I am thinking of making plarn and making some crafts: http://pinterest.com/KeepOnGivin/plarn-ideas/
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen this film but it sounds really interesting. My daughter's friends do seem to be a lot more aware of their "carbon footprint" and recycling/reusing bags etc does seem to be second nature to them, which gives me some hope for the future. There is a lot of opposition to the amount of wheelie bins we have in Salford, four plus a composting box. I'm all for it though, but I guess if you don't have the room, it must pose a problem.
ReplyDeletethis does sound very interesting, I am going to see it, thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeletebravo....I neverleave home without my string bag!!
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