Trash Talk Asia: Point of Purchase in Shanghai (day 7)

One time when we can drastically affect our personal waste generation is at the time of purchase. My first grocery store experience in China brought about these issues upstream of merely throwing things away.

One inevitable purchase: TP (toilet paper). Simple enough? Just look for recycled, unbleached toilet paper and packaging that allows recycling? Not so easy when nothing is in English with little comprehension of Mandarin characters. I'm pretty sure though that the store simply didn't carry environmentally friendly toilet paper...that stuff is hard to find even in America.

Only I didn't notice until I got home that the TP packaging was double-wrapped.

Now that's a big deal. A package inside a package. There must be more effective ways to distribute toilet paper, such as one package that effectively reduces contamination?

I've seen a dramatic change over the past several years as my first influencers in a purchase have increasingly become whether the product and its packaging is environmentally friendly. Strictly adhering to purchasing in this manner is is difficult and takes a concerted effort. And yet it's important to understand that no matter how much sustainable shopping we contribute to, it is only part of the actions we should take as individuals and within the groups we live. Personal waste generation is more than simply buying better products.

We should start to consider all processes and efforts that go into a product...from the means of transportation of yourself to a product...the distribution of a product to your store...the cleaning processes...the manufacturing processes and conditions...the chemicals used...the advertising generated...and so on...it's up to us to think of the entire system, from cradle to cradle. As consumers, we can't simply buy our access into a sustainable world.

-Brandon Edwards