Throw It Away

It’s hard to believe that 2026 is only a few short weeks away. 

With that in mind, and as we approach that most wonderful time of the year, did you know that in the United States, we produce on average 25% to 30% more trash between Thanksgiving and Christmas? That’s right, I’m talking trash. 

We all do it. Some people are more blatant about it, while others try to conceal it by distraction.

Trash…

As a modern society we create and waste; it is a byproduct of our very existence. It is a subject or object that can be physical, intangible, or abstract and once we have finished our use of the said “thing”, we remove it or discard it from our sight and mind. We, as in the collective “we”, really have a problem with how we get rid of things and I want to talk about it. It’s a conversation our communities need to have, and should have for a healthier future. 

Growing up in the late 60s and early 70s, I was a naive little boy, in Hampton Roads, Virginia. My mother taught my older sister and me the importance of disposing of our trash properly in order to keep things tidy. This honestly wasn’t a difficult or complicated lesson to learn and it didn’t require any reinforcement or threat of disciplinary actions for compliance. There was even a television commercial featuring a male actor dressed in traditional Native American attire (cultural appropriation, boo!) looking somberly into the screen with single-tear rolling down his cheek, guilting viewers to not litter. 

It was only when I grew older and was able to physically share some of the household chores, I became responsible for taking out the trash. I was also at the age to learn that “taking out the trash” was a metaphor used to describe many other things including the removal of people when someone may no longer want to see or have a use for. This was a commonly used phrase in mafia movies in the 70s; something that I wasn’t supposed to have any knowledge about but kids are human sponges and soak up selected bits of information that parents don’t censor. It was when that phrase was directed towards my siblings did I realize the severity of those words. My sisters told my mother what I said to them. Oh, the innocence of youth. The one thing my sisters enjoyed was when I got in trouble. Normally, I was a sweet angelic child, but from time to time, I did have some devilish moments too. As a consequence of one of those “moments”, we three kids all ended up paying the price! Ouch! The deed that landed us in hot water? I’ll just say after 30 years, I finally came clean about a mysterious fire 🔥. 

Luckily no one was hurt and the statute of limitations for discipline was no longer in effect. 

In high school, being “trashy” and “talking trash”were behavioral characteristics some of my classmates engaged in to get attention, but it often got them into fights or expulsion. Being trashy meant they could misbehave and act out. While talking trash was something that you did about someone or a group of someones, such as a sports team. I didn’t dare talk about or trash talk (still don’t) anyone for fear of immediate retaliation. Had I ended up in trouble at school for less than ideal behavior, that would have meant double jeopardy. First of all, there were only a few Black students at my school at that time so I would have been easily singled out by the student body as a troublemaker. Then at home, I’d have to suffer the wrath of an angry mother having to miss time away from work for my stupidity. Luckily, none of the above ever happened to me though I was witness to a few brawls (from afar of course) when things went down. I was a thespian not a fighter and avoided any situation they put me in harm’s way!

In other countries having a job in waste management doesn’t have the same negative stigma attached to it, as it does here in the U.S. I’ve really had exchanges with people who intentionally dropped their trash on the street. When they were called out about it, they snarkily responded, “Hey, we’re creating a job for someone!” 

In the 90s, there was a show called “Roc” starring Charles S. Dutton, that featured a Black garbage collector in Baltimore, Maryland. I enjoyed the show initially because it addressed many complexities of Black (urban) life such as gangs, drugs, racism, and even being Gay. After a short three season run, the show was canceled due to low ratings. I noted earlier that I initially enjoyed the show. In the latter years, it seemed like the show lost its integrity and relied more on stereotypical storylines to carry the show. I don’t know if the direction or writing intentionally dumbed down the show to increase viewership but whatever happened, killed the show.

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Egypt. There was such mystery and mystic floating in the air there. After spending a few days exploring the streets of Cairo, my late ex-ster and I traveled by train down south to Luxor. As the train left the station, you could see mounds of trash. That alone wasn’t the most intriguing and disturbing part. It appeared that there were actually people living amongst the trash. I didn’t realize that this area known as Garbage City or Manshiyat Naser (man-shey-yet NA-ser) was an integral part of the city’s recycling system and creates jobs for those who have a strong tolerance for smells and decaying organic matter. I’ll be honest, my western ways made me want to close my eyes and look away out of shock. I found it upsetting to see people living in such conditions. Honestly, there was so much for me to psychologically unpack on that trip.

For the past 25 years I have been living in Portland, Oregon. Here, the approach to trash has been one of innovation and frustration. Portland is a leader when it comes to recycling. Did you know that Oregon was the birthplace of the recycling Bottle Bill? If you’re not sure what that is, look on the back of your glass or plastic container and you’ll see an abbreviated state and redemption value. The policy was enacted in the 70s to prevent littering and to encourage people to recycle. The frustrating part of this environmental policy has more to do with the state of economics in a post-pandemic society. There is a segment of our population that will purchase a case of bottled water only to dump out the contents to claim a marginal dollar value in order to purchase drugs. Because of this practice, there are now whispers of amending the policy from a cash redemption system to one where a voucher is given for items up to a certain dollar amount. Would this potential change further burden a population and also negatively impact the environment? I guess only time will tell. 

Either way, our relationship with trash, no matter how you interpret it, requires more thought in how we process it. The outdated mindset of, “out of sight is out of mind” no longer applies when you don’t address the root cause or causes of the problem. Sooner or later, we’ll all have to pay a price, be it a physical one when the trash again pollutes our drinking water, or a financial one. The question then is, will we be able to afford the cost when the bill is due?

Happy Holidays All!