YOU CAN DO IT: ACTIVISM
Last month, on an abnormally hot day (again), Mister and I attended our third chili cook-off. Those of you who have been following me through the years know that this is an area of contention for me. Massive amounts of plastic are consumed at this annual event. You newbies can read about my previous rants here and here.
The first year I was unprepared for the carnage that ensued and it left me reeling.
Thousands upon thousands of styrofoam cups and plastic spoons.
The second year I arrived prepared. Armed with my own container and spoon, I made my way to each station and asked that their sample be placed into my own cup. There were still massive amounts of un-recyclable waste produced, but none of it was from me.
This is just one of the loads I saw during the short time we were there.
In my post about it last year, one of the commenters suggested taking a muffin tin. Their town has a local soup event where everyone does this. How cool is that? Brilliant! Or so I thought. After much debate with Mister over paper liners, no paper liners, how to transport the mess home, jostling through the crowds, weight, and passing a muffin tin to the back to be filled we decided against it.
Yes, we. This year Mister didn’t create any waste either. He’s cool like that.
My preferred method of chili sampling.
Instead we took two small glass bowls – with lids for the messy ride home – cloth napkins and reusable spoons. Chili tastes better in glass than styrofoam anyway, I think. I was only thinking of the contestants. Besides, I hate that sound of a plastic spoon scraping against sytrofoam. Like nails on a chalkboard. Eeeeeee!
I also packed my Klean Kanteen full of milk. No plastic water bottle this year. No siree! Although I am happy to report that La Crosse now does recycle them. Finally! Not that everyone cares, as is evident by the soda bottle peeking out from under all those styrofoam cups in my first picture. Ugh.
Oh, the irony.
If it bothers me so, you may be asking why I continue to go? Chili cook-offs will go on with or without me. If I choose to stay home in my utopian eco-bubble what will change? Nothing. But, if I decide to throw myself to the dogs and show that there is another way, then what? Someone might notice.
And I might be surprised to hear over the PA, “Will Erica Black and her muffin tin please report to the media area.”
Someone did take notice.
How cool is THAT?! Way cool. And so is Erica for braving the crowds with her muffin tin. Go on girl!
So not cool.
This is an all-too-common sight around the chili cook-off.
People proud to show off their towers of plastic crap. Look at me! I consumed 30 cups of chili! You should be proud young man. I was done in after 10. Making your way all around the cook-off is no small feat, but all I see is; Look at me, I consumed 30 pieces of plastic in under an hour! 31, let’s not forget his spoon. At least he reused that. I hope.
How many dishes does it take to sample 30 chilis?
Wouldn’t you feel better saying; Look at me! I just ate craploads of chili without using a single piece of plastic!
I’d say the odds are 30 to 1 you would.
This post is part of “Simple Lives Thursday”. A blog hop hosted at GNOWFGLINS
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