Skip to content

Let's Talk Trash: Sharing is caring for the planet

These days, conversations about the planet's diminishing resources are commonplace.
Let's Talk Trash Powell River

These days, conversations about the planet's diminishing resources are commonplace. In a world where consumption is king, how are we to wean ourselves from our addiction to acquiring more? Can we maintain our quality of life while also consuming less?

While we certainly do need to consider ways to cut back, there are also many luxuries we can still indulge in if we just remember to value something we first learned in preschool: how to share.

By co-owning, or loaning out our cars, land and tools, we actually spend less while having access to more, for instance.

Sometimes dubbed the “sharing economy,” many platforms have been popping up over the past few years to facilitate us sharing, even with strangers. Uber and Airbnb are household names that offer services few of us haven't yet tapped into. Innovative ways to share are becoming commonplace as well, like high-end clothing rental and community tool lending libraries.

But do we really need a computer app to facilitate our sharing? Admittedly, they're quite handy but what about also revisiting the principle our ancestors thrived by? Sharing is a way to move from surviving to thriving, and there are so many creative ways to do this.

As the gifting season approaches, for example, consider sponsoring a family in need, or, instead of gifting presents to each other, gift donations on behalf of others to those in need.

If you are ready for a good house cleaning, another way of gifting to others is to offer your excess to friends and family. Beyond this, take the time to drop off donations of good quality items to local thrift stores, rather than gifting the planet with more landfill.

Bulk food ordering is also an incredible way to take advantage of collective buying power to reduce costs while also having the side benefit of less packaging. On a more informal level, trading canning and garden harvest are great ways to get variety in your pantry without any additional hours over the stove.

Get in the habit of talking with neighbours, who are a great resource on so many levels. Tapping into local bulletin boards online will also open the world of free or gently used items that might meet a need for you and your household.

Sharing is a way of caring for the planet.

Let’s Talk Trash is qathet Regional District’s waste-reduction education program.