This post comes inspired from a trip to the US earlier this year in which we had the opportunity to interact with, albeit in a fairly limited way, the commercial consumerist landscape of the country. By this I mean that we were not just staying at someone’s house and therefore shielded from ‘buying stuff’. No, we were ‘out there’, staying in different hotel chains, buying clothes, shoes, food, making choices about meals etc.
Overall, it was a disappointing and sobering experience. Economic/financial priorities seemed to triumph over environmental ones, most clearly manifested in the hotel breakfasts. Every guest had to use disposable plates and cutlery – so that everything could be thrown anyway quickly at the end – and the hotel only had to employ (and pay) for one member of staff to do the whole breakfast process. There was no cooking required (on offer there were just cereals and toppings, dairy products in a fridge, bread things for guests to toast themselves, as well as precooked rather gruesome looking eggs and burgers), and no washing up either. In the rooms, the same principle applied. Cups for hot drinks were also disposable and individually wrapped in plastic (very annoying but I can see how it would be the only way to guarantee cleanliness).
Perhaps the organisations involved would have lots to say in their defence to justify their decisions (not sure actually), but I should be balanced and acknowledged that there were some paltry symbolic redeeming features. Namely that these disposable items were made from 90% certified sourcing and at least 10% certified forest content…..Make of that what you will…..I don’t really understand what that means.
Walmart was a bit better. As our luggage was delayed and some of it lost, we therefore had to cost-effectively and efficiently try to replenish our clothing stock. Quite a lot of items were made from recycled plastic. Not nice clothes but perhaps good clothes. When you’re trying to save the world, you can’t have the world.
