I just finished reading a book called Thanks a Thousand, whose author embarked on a project to say “thank you” to representatives of the various professions and industries involved in producing his morning cup of coffee. His journey includes, among many others, the farmers who grow the coffee, the warehouses that store the coffee, the coffee roaster, the cup manufacturer, the trucks that move the coffee beans from the farm to the various steps in the process, the mill that produces the steel to make the trucks, and the people who ensure that the tap water to brew the coffee is safe and easily available, and the companies that provide the electricity. His goal was to reach 1000 people, but he could easily have contacted many thousands more before running out of connections. Applying this concept to sustainability illustrates the mostly hidden resources used to provide us with all the items we use, even the simple ones. When we discard an unused, still functional, or disposable item, we are essentially also discarding the resources used to provide us with that item. Sustainable lifestyles include an awareness of the bigger picture and the effect of the choices we make. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, repurpose it, or sell or give it to someone who can use it. Recycling is important but most things still cannot be recycled.
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