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Dump Me Up

When I was a kid, I used to get sooooo excited about going to the dump. My dad and I would sing along to Johnny Cash's "Five Feet High and Rising" on the way there, and all the while I'd be dreaming of exactly how I was gonna toss all that crap off the back of the truck. Would I drop back and hurl a spiral, Joe Montana-style? Pretend I was Jean-Claude Van Damme and kick it off the tailgate? So many decisions to make.

But it did sometimes cross my mind...what were we gonna do once that big pit got filled up (with all the stuff I swatted in there with my awesome Reggie Jackson swing)? I remember asking my dad once, and he got kinda quiet and said simply, "I don't know." It was rare for my dad to not at least attempt to make up a random yet vaguely plausible answer to any question he was asked, so I knew it had to be serious. Years later, I'm not sure we much more of an answer than that. Reuse really is the way to go - so long as you don't go too far.

SF Editor Mike...off to practice roundhouse kicks...

Posted by: hsnavely on 05/30/2008
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ashley  on May 30, 2008 at 07:06 AM 1
Love you guys, but I have to tell you - that video isn't really KID friendly, so much as easy for adults and teenagers to understand! In the first minute or two she uses words like "finite," "linear," and "federal taxes." I work with urban youth up to 6th grade, and I'm almost positive they wouldn't understand that sort of vocabulary. But it IS engaging, cute, and easy to grasp - maybe just NOT so much for elementary school kids. :) Ashley Our Little Apartment
Laura  on May 30, 2008 at 07:37 AM 2
This is an awesome tip. I would also add that a trip to the local recycling center can be really enlightening, both for kids and adults. Last year I toured a recycling facility and found out that some of the things I was regularly recycling were being thrown out at the recycling center because they didn't have a buyer for the material - I was just getting a good feeling putting it in the green bin, but it was the same as me putting it in the trash. This definitely made me more aware of my consumption.
Amy  on May 30, 2008 at 07:38 AM 3
When I was a kid we were going somewhere in the car and drove by a giant hill. Living in southeastern Kansas, this was pretty remarkable. I asked what it was and my parents told me it was a landfill and explained how it worked. I was horrified. Even as a kid, I couldn't believe that we just took our trash and buried it in the ground like a dog. Ever since then, I have had a huge aversion to throwing things away -- almost to the point of neurosis!
Lou  on May 30, 2008 at 07:51 AM 4
I remember a segment from Sesame Street way back in the day that showed all the trash getting trucked to a city dump. It definitely made an impact!
Jill  on May 30, 2008 at 08:20 AM 5
My girlfriend recently hosted her 3 year old's birthday party at our local dump. The reason, initially, was just that her son LOVES garbage trucks (they had called to see if one could come to her house for the party and Waste Mgmt said, no, but the party could be at the dump.) Although the purpose of the party was so the kids could climb in the trucks and sortof glorified trash hauling, we also had a tour of the dump and the older kids (and adults!) got to see first hand what happens with all that stuff. Pee -ew! Not sure how WM would feel about a party that really was anti-trash but if they really believe their slogan that they are green, why not? (BTW, the party was free!Def. cheaper than Chuck E Cheese!!)
cindy  on May 30, 2008 at 09:31 AM 6
We also used to make trips to the dump. Mostly for grass clippings and yard waste, but it was always a fun trip. One time I even came away with a cute little white kitten someone had dorpped off there. And of course we named him....Dump!
Schell  on May 30, 2008 at 10:10 AM 7
Lucky me! I live in an area where there is a great program to capture and use the methane from decomposing garbage at our county landfill. They use the methane to power a glass-blowing studio, a pottery studio, and several greenhouses. It's an amazing project. We live in a very poor, rural area, and I just don't understand why others aren't following suit. Check it out at : http://www.energyxchange.org/mission_ex.html
Danielle  on May 30, 2008 at 10:18 AM 8
Some of my favorite memories of my dad were our dump adventures. Back in the 70's,and early 80's dumpster diving was groovy fun! My dad would pick me up and put me inside the dumpsters to hunt for treasures! We found allot of great stuff! Like made in occupied Japan dishes,a full set! They were beautiful,and I still have one small flowered plate my dad let me keep that day. Me and dad would go on n on about how wasteful people were throwing away perfectly usuable wonderful things! And he'd always say one mans junk is another mans treasure. Mom would always say waste not,want not. I've often missed those dump outings,and the surprises that would thrill us! Now they don't let anyone dumpster dive,how sad!
Laura  on May 30, 2008 at 10:54 AM 9
In a lot of cities nationwide there is an online group called Freecycle - you sign up in yahoo groups and anything you would send to the landfill that someone else might be able to use, put it up for grabs for free. Then you can watch the site for something you might need also! I have seen so much go through there that might have ended up in the dump and was recycled instead.
Deb  on May 30, 2008 at 11:01 AM 10
I think tours of recycling centers and landfills are a great idea. I worked a couple of summers as a quality assurance tech with a landfill construction company and a couple of days in a recyclable center. Not the most glamourous jobs but now I think twice about buying items with nonrecyclable packaging and I'm more deligent about composting.
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