Give some thought to the trash you never think about: the humble coffee stirrer you use for, like, three seconds max and casually chuck into the trash. You could use a spoon. And not lick it. And leave it for someone else to use. But that would be too icky. Though not as icky as the billions of stirrers in the oceans. I used to draw cartoons like this for the Sierra Club. Unfortunately, today’s environmental organizations don’t get or understand the power of cartoons to convey these ideas. Otherwise I’d do a lot more of these.
The Coffee Stirrer is the Ultimate American Thing
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication, WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "The Stringer."
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Those damned things are found over the world, Ted, but if you show me a US Patent Office document, I’m willing to believe that they originate in that Shining City on a Hill, like so much else that brings joy and pleasure to the human race….
Sad that environmental organisations don’t recognise the power of cartoons ; nowadays the most one hears from them seem to be begging letters….
Henri
Or without disposable cups??!! Sheesh … do you really need a brand-new cup for each cuppa? I *prefer* my own mug.
We’ve been programmed by the marketing department to believe that disposable is desirable. How about them Swiffer dust mops? They weren’t designed to clean floors, they were designed to sell Swiffer pads. My wife and I have an ongoing … discussion. I clean windows with a bucket of hot water & a handful of rags; she does so with a bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towels. She cooks with aluminum foil, I use a pot with a lid, etc.
The main problem – as always – is that there are just too damn many people. But that doesn’t mean we can’t cut down on the abject nonsense.
How to prevent this. Take metal spoon, place end in cup. Stir. Rinse spoon for future use.
What is all the fuss about too much plastic?
There is still a lot of room left in the Pacific ocean for more plastic waste.