My Apple Dilemma

Boys or girls I think both parents should sit down with their kids and speak with them about having the sex.

Older Daughter Jennifer and I never had the talk. She was old enough to know where babies come from when I met her and Wanda.

When we were driving (she was driving I was riding) to Whole Foods last Thursday we did talk about produce.

Wanda and I shop at a local Framer's Market but it shuts down from November through April so now we buy most of our produce at Costco.

I've developed a fondness for Fuji's but this time of year Honeycrisp's are in season and they are my absolute favorite apple.

So Jenn and I were discussing various apple varieties and where to find the best and I told her about Costco apples.

"I don't like to buy apples in blister packs." She said.

A short time later we were meandering through the store and I watched her in front of the apple display. She picked several up and inspected each one looking for signs of abuse. The she made her selections placing several inside the most protective and secure place in a shopping cart; where parents set their kids ass.

At this juncture I feel the need to talk about price. I love apples and eat one almost every day. Even if it was coined by Jesse Hiatt I whole heartily believe in the saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Since I'm saving all this money keeping the good doc at bay I could spend more but saving a dollar a pound is appealing....get it, appealing.

After our Saturday morning trip to Costco I was unpacking bags. I washed and dried blackberries and in the process put the blister pack in the recycle bin. I washed and dried blueberries and put the blister pack in the recycle bin. I put 5.5 lbs. of Honeycrisp apples in the fridge and put the blister pack in the recycle bin.

I put things in the recycle bin in the garage. I dump that in the large outside tote a few times a week. On Take-Out-the-Toters Tuesday I wheel the bin out to the curb. On Wednesdays a big truck picks it up, takes it to a dump where it is reprocessed and we start over, using energy and losing, I would think, a good percentage in the process.

And then I had an epiphany.

Is this the reason Jennifer said she didn't like to buy apples in plastic containers?

Wanda and I try to do our part to create a smaller carbon footprint. We keep the thermostat set at 78 in the summer. In the winter we usually use the heater in the early morning or when a wool hat, sweatshirt and blanket combined don't offer enough warmth, or when can see our breath.

We recycle, catch shower water in a bucket and compost.

I drink water from individual 16 ounce bottles. I know I shouldn't but I can't help it. I've tried five gallon jugs on dispensers, small filters, large filters and nothing works. I'm lazy I guess. And if going to the fridge three or four time a day and getting water will keep me hydrated that's what I need to do.

I'm not thrilled but I placate myself by thinking at least I'm recycling.

But drinking water is one thing, blister packaged fruit is another. 

So I called Jennifer and asked if she meant she doesn't like to buy packaged fruit because of the package or the fruit. "Not the package, she said. I like to inspect each piece."

Well that's all well and good for her. Isn't it? But now I'm having a crisis of conscience over this. And I never gave it a thought until I went shopping with her. That's the last time I'll do that.

Last Friday Wanda was reading a Facebook page and noticed a free e-waste drop off at the local recycle center. She asked me if we had any. I didn't think we did since we took several boxes in about six months ago.

"They have free doughnuts, coffee and bagels." She added. "It may be worth digging something up."

I thought we had two or three old cell phones but they were recycled several months ago. At the time I also cleaned out all the wires, cords and plugs that became obsolete during the Clinton administration. Then I remembered we had a modem and router that no one on eBay wanted. We were driving right by the building on the way to Costco so burning extra fuel was not an issue.

How ironic I thought, I'm dropping off e-waste for doughnuts and bagels that will go directly my waist. 

Now that's recycling.

1. 80 to 85% of electronic products were discarded in landfills or incinerators, which can release certain toxics into the air.

2. E-waste represents 2% of America's trash in landfills, but it equals 70% of overall toxic waste. The extreme amount of lead in electronics alone causes damage in the central and peripheral nervous systems, the blood and the kidneys.

3. 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed worldwide every year.

4. Cell phones and other electronic items contain high amounts of precious metals like gold or silver. Americans dump phones containing over $60 million in gold/silver every year.

5. Only 12.5% of e-waste is currently recycled.

6. For every 1 million cell phones that are recycled, 35,274 lbs of copper, 772 lbs of silver, 75 lbs of gold, and 33 lbs of palladium can be recovered.

7. Recycling 1 million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 U.S. homes in a year.

8. E-waste is still the fastest growing municipal waste stream in America, according to the EPA.

9. A large number of what is labeled as "e-waste" is actually not waste at all, but rather whole electronic equipment or parts that are readily marketable for reuse or can be recycled for materials recovery.

10. It takes 539 lbs of fossil fuel, 48 lbs of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture one computer and monitor.

11. Electronic items that are considered to be hazardous include, but are not limited to: Televisions and computer monitors that contain cathode ray tubes, LCD desktop monitors, LCD televisions, Plasma televisions, Portable DVD players with LCD.

As for the electronics.....and I am an android fan.

The best thing I can do is limit my purchase of items that will eventually become e-waste, which should be easy. 

At this point in my life I'm too intimidated to buy new and improved. I don't know how to use the things I have now. But eventually I may surrender to the Sirens Call of Big-as-a-Wall-Television or Extraordinary-Smartphone. If and when that happens I'll find someone who will appreciate a small 47" TV. 

The old phones I'll gut for the gold and silver.

As for the real apples...

Well, a dollar saved is a dollar earned.

I'll continue to buy at Costco.

But I'll unpack them there.

Costco can deal with the plastic....it started it.